East West Homestay Rotorua

En route to Rotorua we visited the Karangahake Scenic Reserve to explore the gorge, walking<br>15 ppl over bridges thats hav e a 10 person limit probably wasn't the best idea as the wire on 1<br>bridge started to unravel and creek and start to fall...just kidding, but it could have happened!<br>there were loads of mining tunnels which we ventured into for a little more excitment ...

... be easy now!<br><br>After some much needed hot showers we headed into Roturar center to get some lunch. We found a nice pub and took refuge from the rain. 4 hours later, after swapping travelling advice we were ready for some more food. We thought it would be bad to eat lunch and dinner in the same place so we wandered down the road to an Indian. A nice treat after 6 weeks in South America. We had a great day with Dave and Carly!

... we had to get down and grab hold of the ropes on the boat as we plummeted vertically down the waterfall. I remember seeing the edge of the waterfall but the actual descent down it was kind of a blur. We were completely submerged and I only remember coming out of the water with the side of the boat tilted and the front of the boat (where I was) right in the air ...

... down the river to a ferocious chant. The concert that followed afterwards was as spine chilling but informative of Maori culture and how they have adapted. We even learned a Haka which Fran can do quite impressively (bulging eyes and wagging tongue essential!). The walk through the grounds afterwards was a nice finish although we and 5 others got lost and gate crashed the Rainbow Springs tour (it cost an extra $17) before being rumbled! It was a great night and another of ...

... park, we sat in a very warm thermal pool and enjoyed warming up and whatever benefits might be gained from the sulphur and other minerals. We wrapped up our "self spa" evening with a mud mask from Rotorua mud and then a nice shower. Our last night camping is bitter sweet. I think we are both looking forward to our own real beds but not wanting the fun and adventure necessarily to be over...

... our guide to take part of a traditional Wero (Challenge), this ceremony is deem serious by our guide as giggling, imitating the sound make by the Maori warriors an insult. This Wero is done to those who step into the tribe territory, display if their visit of a peaceful or hostile intention. Picking up the fern left on the ground by the visitor mean we come in peace. Accompanied the dinner is a live music singing unplugged ...

... were aggravated by apparently minor inconveniences, that was actually due to a longer history of smaller (and larger) irritants that added up during our stay in this undeniably beautiful country. Auckland, our first stop in New Zealand, is truly a cosmopolitan and very livable city, with nice cafes, malls, entertainment &amp; cultural venues. Therefore, we spent our first two days in Auckland doing what we do best in urban settings: walking around, trying the ...

... which is found right beside the cable car entrance. Kiwis are in trouble in New Zealand thanks to rats &amp; stoats which kill off the young. a young Kiwi chick has a 5% chance of survival in the wild. The eggs are collected from the burrows and then the center looks after them &amp; the subsequent Kiwi chicks until they are around 6 months old; the adult birds are then taken back to where they were found. Survival rate this way is 60 ...

... living room, kitchen, bath, and toilet. Pure luxury! Wireless internet and sat tv were just the icing on the cake... We planned on staying one night, which turned into 3 after waking up the next morning to pouring rain. A bit disappointed, we soon found that grocery shopping and vegging around the motel were a great alternative to going to hot springs, and Liam really enjoyed a day to sit, crawl and play with a stack of tin baby food cans ...

... Falls ihr das machen wollt, macht&#8217;s mit &#8222;Kaituna Rafting&#8220;, die heben einen Spitzenfotografen. <br><br>Am nächsten Tag ging&#8217;s dann nach Waitomo (&#8222;Wasserlöcher&#8220;), einer Gegend mit zahllosen Höhlen und Heimat des Black Water Raftings. Dies beinhaltet das Gleiten entlang unterirdischer Wasserströme in einem Autoreifen-Schlauch. Klang spannen, aufgrund der vielen Regenfälle waren aber die meisten Höhlen wegen Hochwasser gesperrt, so ...