Glow Worms and Caves

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  Waitomo Caves, North Island, New Zealand
Tuesday, January 20, 2009

 New Zealand is awesome, its beyond awesome; its be-awesome (Rhino-speak)

We are basically doing a road trip throughout NZ and the drive to each destination is so green, hilly, and just plain pretty. There are loads of sheep and cows; sheep outnumber the NZ population.

Our first stop after Auckland was Waitomo for the caves, glow worms, stalactites, and stalagmites. We decided to explore the caves by abseiling (rapelling) down 37 meters into the cave, then blind zip lining (yes, as in zip lining in pitch black), and then black water rafting in freezing cold water in innertubes. After black water rafting, we ditch the floaties and take a nice hike through and in the freezing cold running water. This all happens under ground, nice.We take short breaks for hot chocolate and some snacks which was very nice because if we didn't consume the calories, we might go into shock (not kidding).  Overall, I'll have to say that this trip through Waitomo was a bit more adventerous than all our other trips.

Food: I do like lamb/mutton. Actually, I'll admit that it is probably my favorite type of meat and boy do they have it in abundance here. My first try at lamb was in Auckland and it was quite poor. It sounded great on the menu "Medium rare lamb shank". It wasn't medium rare, it was chewy and gross. Not happy. But in Waitomo, I had the best lamb EVER. Yes, it was probably the best lamb I have ever had, including the ones I make at home. It was so good!! It was at Huhu Cafe. It was called "King Country rack of lamb with creamy potato stack, beetroot, relish, and crispy parsnip" but when it came it came with potato citrus pesto and roasted veggies, there was no crispy parsnip. Any case, the lamb was done right, not just right, but perfectly done. There was a simple parmesan crust on the lamb; medium rare. The lamb was succulent, and very very fresh tasting. It was so good that I lost all decorum and actually ate off the bone. I actually considered ordering a second one (oinker).
The produce here is so fresh and everything is mostly organic which is really nice.

Also in Waitomo we got to see angora bunnies being sheared. This experience was probably one of our most hilarious experiences on this trip. First off, the bunny is huge, like Jackalope huge. The bunny looked like it weighed a good 20-25 lbs and its hair was so long! They are German bred and they need to be sheared 4 times a year. If they do not get sheared they die from the heat. The fur was so soft and light. If I had one of these rabbits, I would probably squeeze it to death. The way they sheer it is pretty funny too. The bunny is so calm and doesn't thrash about as it is put in this rack device and is shaved. Its pretty interesting, cute, and weird all at the same time.

After Waitomo we headed for National Park for Mt Doom and Mordor...

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