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Where was I? Hmm.
Oh yeah, Rotorua. It was pretty cool, what with the volcanic activity and Maori stuff, but I left. I just felt like I wasn't meant to stay. I didn't hitch hike like my room mate suggested, though he did sell it very well. Nah, I took the bus to Auckland. In hindsight I could probably have fitted in another day there or somewhere else since I now have a day in Auckland I don't know what to do with. Ah well, sample yet more of the delights of a big, rather dull city. Heh.
Oh yes, I only spent one evening in Auckland before heading up to Paihia, the place to be if you wanna see the Bay of Islands. Well, you could stay in Russell, but there's even less in Russell than there is in Paihia and there's pretty much nothing in Paihia. It's the only place I've ever seen where the chip shop closes at 8PM. 8PM! What the hell? I know it was a wednesday night but even so...
Anyway, Bay of Islands is a bay full of islands, obviously. It's quite pretty and it's got history (first European settlement) and wildlife and things. I quite fancied swimming with dolphins so I booked onto the dolphin boat and we went out for a few hours to try and see those charming sea creatures while also having a look at the islands. It was a grey and miserable day (again- I haven't had great luck on north island) and we did see some dolphins but they had some little dolphins with them so we couldn't get in the water with them. Oh well. Result: tired, bored passengers.
Yawn.
Next day I awoke early in order to catch a tour bus up to Cape Reinga and the surrounding area. We saw big (even bigger in future, probably) Kauri trees, Doubtless Bay and all the stuff you do on the way up to Cape Reinga (top of North Island) before getting to the cape itself. I thought it was pretty cool, kind of rocky and windswept like all such land extremities, except this one had an interesting tree hanging off the end which gave it an edge. Apparently Maoris believe that departed souls sit on said tree for a while before going off to wherever and I can sort of see why. Also, you can see the whitewater where the Pacific and Tasman seas collide. Essentially, it's exactly the sort of place that makes you want to take a picture of it. It's also where my camera stopped working. It's hard to appreciate the beauties of nature when you are suppressing a giant camera smashing rage.
We also went to Ninety Mile Beach (the only public highway which is also a beach, complete with half buried cars and dead penguins, a shop with a staircase carved into a giant log (Awesome!) and a Really Fresh fish and chip shop (Yum).
Next day I took the ferry to Russel, New Zealands first capital and ex notoriously rough whaling port (It used to be called something else but changed its name to escape the reputation). You couldn't tell nowadays: it's so small and pretty and, well... boring. I walked up a hill again. It was nice. I guess that I like walking up hills, it seems to be all I do. Then I had lunch and left.
I then tried to do stuff for free in Paihia before getting the hell out on an afternoon bus. I figured it was probably better to spend a rainy Friday in Auckland when at least some stuff would be open than Paihia where everything is centred around sunny day activities. And it was going to rain, apparently. Hence why I left.
Auckland: It's big(er than other cities in New Zealand), it has a big(er than all the other towers in the southern hemisphere) tower and there isn't really that much there. I went up said big tower and got giddy. I took a walk in the park and went to museums. It was all OK.
Then I went back to my family. They're still OK.
Now I'm in Sydney. Cool. Tell you more later.
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Hannah fo shizzle.
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Biznitch. Fizzle?
Sounds like fuuun. I'm a little tired right nizzle, so plizzle forgizzle my copious use of the -izzle suffix. I wish I could see pretty things too. All I see is rain... actually, you seem to be seeing rather a lot of that too. Oh well, I suppose being in NZ cancels out the crappiness of the weather. Here... well, it's just all shit.