http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/New-Zealand/North-Island/ Travel adventures in journals and photos from Oceania , New Zealand , North Island en-us Fri, 05 Dec 2008 02:49:33 UTC Fri, 05 Dec 2008 02:49:33 UTC In the centre of new zealand there is a little area known as whangamomona that claimed independance 20 years ago. We got our passports stamped when we entered at the local hotel. very bizarre. We also saw mount doom from the lord of the rings films and we jumped out of a plane at 12000ft. http://www.travelblog.org//Oceania/New-Zealand/North-Island/Taupo/blog-351323.html Motorhome News from New Zealand 7 30th November 2008Wellington Wanganui Taupo Taumarunui Stratford New Plymouth Hamilton AucklandReturning to North Island for more mountains volcanoes and old friends. The clock is ticking ever faster now. The rhythm rising a notch each day as we approach the end of our journey through New Zealand. That's how it is with holidays isn't it. As sprin http://www.travelblog.org//Oceania/New-Zealand/North-Island/Auckland/blog-350995.html Well here I amI left Wales on the 9th December 2007 but only now do I get the chance to really get the travelling boots on and 'get amongst it' as we'd say back in Swansea.After a brief wet and sticky stopover in Singapore I and the family spent the best part of DecJan in Australia based mainly in Sydney with a brief but memorable trip up to Fraser Island and some time spent in the Blue Mou http://www.travelblog.org//Oceania/New-Zealand/North-Island/Auckland/Central/blog-350850.html Der heisse Monat ist da Sommer Linus Geburtstag Weihnachten und Silvester Dann lass mal krachen... http://www.travelblog.org//Oceania/New-Zealand/North-Island/Bay-of-Plenty/Tauranga/blog-350838.html About the videos full screen versions available at the end of the blog text use the small icons Sobre los videos versin de pantalla completa al final del blog1. The Gee BeesNZ's no. 1 Bee Gees Tribute Band. They're so bad they're brilliant. Doing a Haka Maori war dance version of Tragedy. A tragedy indeed Poor Maurice must be turning in his grave Los Gee Bees la banda tribu http://www.travelblog.org//Oceania/New-Zealand/North-Island/Orewa/blog-350826.html Hello all for the last time from beautiful New Zealand. We are once again in Auckland city where for the thrid time last night we crashed and landed in transit. We have been here for a day of laundry and chores in order to organise ourselves to leave for Fiji tomorrow at ridiculous o clock otherwise known as 5 am.The week that has been since I last wrote has been one of the best if not the http://www.travelblog.org//Oceania/New-Zealand/North-Island/Auckland/Central/blog-350825.html We decided on this lovely sunny day to go to Paihia. had our morning tea at the beach. Walked to the shops and bought our lunch. mind you it was our brunchThan walked to Waitangi and went in FREE with showing our ID.as a New Zealander. Here some photos sitting under the most beautiful POHUTUKAWA http://www.travelblog.org//Oceania/New-Zealand/North-Island/Whangarei/blog-350823.html The people we spoke to on the South Island were unanimous in their view that the North Island was there but it wasnrsquot really up to much. One lady told us that really the best plan was to get off the ferry in Wellington and go straight to the Bay of Islands probably trying to ignore Auckland as you go through I suspect. Even then so we were told the Bay of Islands is really just full of A http://www.travelblog.org//Oceania/New-Zealand/North-Island/Bay-of-Islands/Paihia/blog-350439.html After 4 months in South America we had become accostomed to speaking bad Spanish everyday in Brazil we had hidden our valuables in secret money belts in Peru and Bolivia we had got used to carrying toilet paper around with us everywhere we went being stared at worrying about being scammed or mugged and being called 'gringo' had become normal. So when Luke left his bag with all his valuables http://www.travelblog.org//Oceania/New-Zealand/North-Island/Auckland/Central/blog-350211.html Well to improve fitness and enjoy a challenge it was an idea to do a bit of biking. The scenario approached was Bike the race around Lake Taupo. That's all just do itOn dad's B'day was the day of the race so as a bunch of companions Madeleine Dad Kerin gym trainer Kent myself and a total of around 10'000 others to race with I was for the first time doing this event on a roadbik http://www.travelblog.org//Oceania/New-Zealand/North-Island/Taupo/blog-350160.html Remarkable Rotorua Saturday 29th November 2008Yesterday we arrived in Rotorua. It is true what the guide books say and that is that you can smell Rotorua long before you reach it. The strong sulphuric gasses give the air a potent smell like rotten eggs but one quickly adapts and after several hours cease to notice it. Our campsite was right near Te Puia geothermal park and the Pohutu geyser s http://www.travelblog.org//Oceania/New-Zealand/North-Island/Rotorua/blog-350138.html Hot earth under pressure.. http://www.travelblog.org//Oceania/New-Zealand/North-Island/Rotorua/blog-349884.html We were in N P for the last couple days. I wanted to climb Mt taranaki so the 29th we went and got everything ready. we needed ice axes and clampon ice shoes. We did the summit in 5 hours and it took another 3 hours to get back. My smoking Canadian ass made it up first before an American English and Israel. http://www.travelblog.org//Oceania/New-Zealand/North-Island/New-Plymouth/blog-349859.html Today we were at the waitomo caves. I have already been so no pictures. We left after our tour to go to New Plymouth. http://www.travelblog.org//Oceania/New-Zealand/North-Island/Waitomo-Caves/blog-349857.html Before we left today we went and did the luge down the mountain. It was pretty fun but not at all like you would expect the ice to be like. After that we packed up and headed to Waitomo http://www.travelblog.org//Oceania/New-Zealand/North-Island/Rotorua/blog-349856.html Today was our last full day in Rotorua. we went and did a walk to the rainbow mountain. It was a stupid walk because once we were at the tip you couldnt see anything. after that we went and sat in Kerosean creek. its a hot water creeks with a water fall right above the hot water spring. http://www.travelblog.org//Oceania/New-Zealand/North-Island/Rotorua/blog-349855.html Today we went to the Red wood forests and to the green and blue lakes. The Red woods were planted back in the early 1900's and have grown alot more then they do in california out here. After there we went to the blue and green lakes. You can't really tell what color they are from the ground but from up high you can see the colors. http://www.travelblog.org//Oceania/New-Zealand/North-Island/Rotorua/blog-349853.html Today we took a drive out to see the tarawara outlet. It is where the river that flows out of Lake tarawara has borken thru a vocanic flow and the river just emptys out of a hole in the rocks. http://www.travelblog.org//Oceania/New-Zealand/North-Island/Rotorua/blog-349852.html Well here we are passing time at the Auckland Airport bored to death while waiting for our plane. Plane ride from Palmy was good Mum just kept pretending it was just a bumpy bus. We even made it tothe airport on time how impressive is thatChristmas decorations are prettybut nothing compared to what they will be when we get to Europe. Everything is overpriced but i guess we will have http://www.travelblog.org//Oceania/New-Zealand/North-Island/Auckland/blog-349847.html After nearly a whole year later than I planned I arrived in Auckland and have been able to catch up with my old school mate from Pewsey School Dan. Since I was in Oz over a year ago Dan has been expecting me in Auckland but I have been pushing the date further and further back due to unforeseen circumstances. I told him I would be there in March and then June July etc I kept pushing back the da http://www.travelblog.org//Oceania/New-Zealand/North-Island/Auckland/Mount-Eden/blog-349807.html I've finally made it to New Zealand Yesterday after I arrived I was walking around town with a huge silly grin on my face. That's how excited I am to be here My journey here was pretty interesting as well I flew out of Dubai at 1030 pm on wed 26th and finally got into Auckland friday morning at 11. Whew a long couple days of traveling. The Dubai airport was a ZOO So many lines to http://www.travelblog.org//Oceania/New-Zealand/North-Island/Auckland/blog-349575.html Well you would think the drama was over wouldn't you but no there was one more crisis so to speak to get through.We had the whole day in Auckland before catching the overnight bus to Wellington. We had a tired but good day in Auckland and were exceedingly happy to get on the bus to get some sleep. At about 3.00am in the morning the bus ground to a halt in the middle of nowhere. I woke to th http://www.travelblog.org//Oceania/New-Zealand/North-Island/Wellington/blog-349495.html 'You'll smell it before you see it' is what we'd read about Rotorua and boy they weren't kidding The place is one of the most thermally active area in all of NZ and when you're downwind of it all you can smell is rotten eggs due to all the sulphur in the air. We visited WaiOTapu an amazing thermal park full of crazy coloured lakes bubbling mud pools and the famous Lady Xnox Geyser that go http://www.travelblog.org//Oceania/New-Zealand/North-Island/Auckland/Mount-Eden/blog-349463.html Day 13 Wednesday 26thWe opened the curtains to a fantastic morning and great views from our room across to the Waitangi Treaty Grounds and Bay of Islands. Norm knocks on the door and brings Sparky to bid us farewell. Hersquos a lovely little cat and immediately gives us a star showing outside the chalet. Itrsquos a pity we canrsquot stay longer. So off we go but itrsquos down to Wait http://www.travelblog.org//Oceania/New-Zealand/North-Island/Coromandel/Thames/blog-349285.html hello everybody sorry about the delay writing a new blog but we've been spending the last few weeks getting sorted with jobs and a place to stay. i'm working in a fish and chip shop on cuba st i've discovered that i am now called pauly malone thanks very much brendan lynch. my job involves selling loads of fresh fish that i've never heard of and battering scallops and muscles making various k http://www.travelblog.org//Oceania/New-Zealand/North-Island/Wellington/blog-349225.html Miercoles 26nov08Anoche me equivoque al hacer la compra del billete de bus y menos mal que hoy me he dado cuenta si no me voy al otro lado de la isla y me ha dado justo el tiempo para cancelarlo y sacar el nuevo. Va ha ser un poco duro 3 buses distintos no se cuantos kilometros pero si se que son casi nueve horas pero el norte ya esta cerrado y hay que salir de aqu y cambiar de aires ah http://www.travelblog.org//Oceania/New-Zealand/North-Island/Coromandel/Coromandel-Town/blog-349157.html Domingo 23nov08Han dicho en la TV mientras desayunaba los pocos restos que me quedaban que viene una tormenta asi que tiene pinta de complicarse el dia por que estoy de transito voy donde dijo Costeau si hombre el frances ese del jorrito rojo que buceaba tanto que es uno de los mejores sitos del mundo para hacerlo y el bus me deja a 40 km de alli. El transporte funciona bien pero hay m http://www.travelblog.org//Oceania/New-Zealand/North-Island/Whangarei/blog-349152.html November 27th Wellington 1041pmI met Leah and Francesca again this morning in the mess but no JC probably because he went out drinking last night and didnrsquot get home until 230am. Considering he was on an all day tour and then had to work tonight I didnrsquot think it was a good choice but to each their own.I was in the theatre with Charmaine and Leah and we got things out on time. http://www.travelblog.org//Oceania/New-Zealand/North-Island/Wellington/blog-349128.html Free to do what we want at any old time. With a brand new van as replacement for the last leaky one and up graded to a bigger version that thankfully did not smell of Stuarts wetsuits we started on our travels. Our plan was to travel up the Coromandel peninsula an area that we had heard had unrivalled beauty and to perhaps catch some fo the beautiful beaches that settled into the northern par http://www.travelblog.org//Oceania/New-Zealand/North-Island/Coromandel/Whangamata/blog-349127.html