New Zealand

I spent the first couple days in Auckland.  It's a cool city.  Rode a ferry out to the volcanic island of Rangitoto and took a bus out to One Tree Hill.  The next stop was Waitomo to see the glow worm caves, spent the night, and caught a van to Rotorua.  It's a thermal area similar to Yellowstone...just on a smaller scale.  Actually, the van first stopped at a farm animal show and a trout feeding pond (oh yes, I was excited).  I met Jayne (she's from England) at the hostel in Rotorua and we were on the same bus to Taupo the next day.  I had planned on skydiving in Taupo, but the weather didn't cooperate.  So I hung out with her that day and went out to a bar called Holy Cow with her and a couple English blokes.  The next day I had to catch a bus back to Rotorua and then a flight to Queenstown.  Queenstown is a cool little "adventure" town - it's a hub for adventure sports.  I took a day tour from there to Milford Sound where I went on a couple hour cruise through the sound.  Saw plenty of waterfalls, seals and dolphins.  Also tried to book skydiving in Queenstown, but it was too windy.  Took a looooong van ride from Queenstown to Greymouth where I stayed at the Noah's Ark Youth Hostel.  Each room was decorated with a different animal theme.  Not much to do there but it was where I caught the Tranz-Alpine train across New Zealand's Alps to Christchurch.  Christchurch is another neat city - had a friendly feel to the place and a nice botanical gardens.  I spent Christmas there and the people at the hostel I stayed at made me feel very welcome.

Auckland from the hostel

Tom in forest on Rangitoto

Auckland from Rangitoto Island

Tom on Rangitoto

Auckland from the bay

Auckland boat docks

One Tree Hill

 

Rotorua geyser

Tom and Brits

 

Jayne and Tom

Queenstown

view from Queenstown Hill

you can see me at the bottom getting up after a fall

hedgehog!

Tom by Lake Wakatipu

Milford Sound

Tom at Milford Sound

seals on a rock in Milford Sound

 

dolphins

Milford Sound waterfall

mural at Noah's Ark

on Tranz-Alpine train

 

there's the train

 

Christchurch Cathedral

Peacock Fountain in botanical gardens

cooking Christmas dinner

sitting down to dinner

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