After escaping Paris, 12 hours before the city ground to a halt with strikes and protests, dodging Typhoon Megi in the Philippines, skirting the eruption of Indonesian Mount Merapi while in Thailand, and steering clear of the floods in Queensland, it was obviously foolish of us to think we’d be able to wrap up our final three days in New Zealand without narrowly missing another cataclysmic event. Fortunately for us, we are far from the effects of the recent earthquake in Christchurch. It has been unbelievably devastating for the people and the city. Watching the footage on the news it’s hard to believe we stood at the foot of many of those buildings barely more than a month ago. We were RIGHT THERE!
Lucky.
Our fortune has allowed us to carry on our adventures relatively unimpeded…unless you count the wind resistance from my face.
After failing in our first attempt with Grampa and Grandma Bearss, Britt, Ciel and I were so excited about finally finding the Huka Falls and Spa Pool Walkway on our return trip to Taupo, that we promptly charged off…leaving our camera behind in the van. Nana attempted to come to our rescue, but her camera battery was doing little good at home in the charger. The best we could manage was a few grainy iPhone and Blackberry photos to capture this monumental occasion.
Nana and G-Dad took the opportunity to engage in some Baby Bjorn training in preparation for their upcoming Waitomo Caves/Babysitting tour.
This stream,
Is the steamy 42-degree source of the “Spa Pool” as it mixes with the cool waters of the Waikato River (New Zealand’s longest).
We continued the trend of pampering ourselves with a steam bath at Orakei Korako Geyserland.
Famous for its sinter terraces,
Boiling mud pools,
And this rock.
Next we moved on to Waitomo, where our favourite activity is a toss up.
Was it:
A) Black Water Rafting
Which saw me and Britt don some stylish attire,
Undergo a brief training session,
Rappel 27m into a subterranean cave system,
Crawl around tiny tunnels and crevasses in the dark,
Acquaint ourselves with eels and glowworms (actually Arachnocampa luminosa larvae),
(Silky glowworm thread “fishing” lines)
And innertube our way back,
Before clambering to the surface?
Or;
B) Staying one night in the Woodlyn Park theme motel, where accommodation options included:
Hobbit Hole 1 or 2,
A converted air force cargo jet,
A decrepit old train car,
And of course, the fair vessel “Waitanic”?
Oooor;
C) NOT having to go on Nana and G-Dad’s 3-hour glowworm trip with Ciel, who started wailing five minutes into the first cave and by the end of the day had the other tourists running for the hills as soon as the van pulled into the drop off spot?
I’ll leave it with you to decide.
With that, our three months in New Zealand comes to an end. It was an amazingly awesome run; no doubt we’ll be back. We fly out to Fiji tomorrow morning for a few days on the beach and then a cruise through the islands with Nana and G-Dad in tow. Hopefully, we can avoid leaving any further environmental catastrophes in our wake. I wouldn’t be surprised if you hear that one of Auckland’s dormant volcanoes has sprung to life moments after we touch down in Fiji. We’ll keep our fingers crossed.
