New Zealand, WOW! I've only really been here a short time and I've seen and done so many things. Everyday is a new and awesome adventure. My time in New Zealand will be quite different than in Australia as I'm being chauffeured around by Haka Tours. If you want a stress free vacation in New Zealand book on with these guys. You have a 'set' itinerary and can do any number of activities based on where you are in the country. It's phenominal as they arrange all of your transportation, accomodation, organize and book your activities, and recommend great places to eat. Groups are small, ours started at 6, will be the biggest at 11, and ends at 3. So much flexibility with what can be done in a day with groups this size.
Oh the things I've seen! Our first day of tour was raining, so we went to the craziest wine (more like liquor) tasting I will probably ever have. It was at the Purangi Winery and if you ever get the chance to go, DO IT! As this is an adventure tour I started off my thrill seeking by going blackwater rafting. It was more like floating through caves with a few jumps off waterfalls, but the whole purpose of the trip was to see the glow worms! Looked like stars in the sky, really neat to see.
New Zealand wouldn't have been a trip for me if I didnt go to a couple of The Lord of the Rings sites. First up, Hobbiton! Was exactly as you would expect it, tiny houses built into the side of the hill. It was interesting to see how they used props and differing house sizes to manipulate size and how much work it was to make everything seem true to life. The magic of movies is crazy. Finishing of the tour with a beer at the Green Dragon was a nice touch, no dancing on tables however.
So far my favourite and most hated adventure was the Tongariro Crossing. It was the hardest 21km I've ever hiked in my life. 2 of the 7 hours were terrible, the other 5 were definitely worth the pain. Two things made this hike very difficult. Because of the volatile weather that can come in at any moment in the mountains, each person had to be properly equipped for the hike. This included carrying food, water, hiking boots (I had to use theirs, they were a size and a half to big), crampons, ice axe, and extra clothing. The last 2 km my feet and knees were in so much pain from the big shoes and carrying all that extra weight, I couldn't wait to get back to the car park. Thank God they had beer waiting for us at the bottom! The true test was at the Devil's Staircase however. Stairs and upslopes for 1 hour to the summit. There was much cursing during this time but in the end it was completely worth it as a close up view of Mount Doom was waiting for us at the top of the stairs. The weather was absolutely perfect, barely a cloud in the sky, and the view from the mountain top was absolutely stunning.
The crazy thing is that was all in 4 days of my 24 day tour and it only gets better from here!
Bag End!
Mount Doom!
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