New Zealand... or should we say the lushiosh mountain covered the green country! ( With a couple of stoney volcanoes)
It's a big change for us after the orange desert of Australia to be on this very very green island. We dont think we have ever seen grass so soft, so lush, so bright green its so perfect it looks photoshoped but hey its real life!
Green hills every were and lots of Friesian Cows and even more sheep infact there are so many sheep here that if each one was a Euro it would be enough for the ECB to finaly bail out Greece.
We rented a car for the week and drove all around the North island.
It was so weird for us to be in a car again! All though it was a 1999 Dihatshu peanut car after driving a van in Australia for so long this felt like a Lotus Elise (avery cheap one). Sitting in a normal car it feels like your arse is on the tarmac. We really missed driving the van to be high up and see everything. Its much easier to drive long distances etc. But Digby (as we had total insurance cover) enjoyed driving our dihatsu like he was playing a ralley driving game. (Here it may say high way on the map with a straight line but you get a curvey dirt mountain road)
First we headed North out of Auckland to the Bay of Islands and stayed in Paihia. We visited the hut were the treaty between the British and the Mauri was signed creating New Zealand. Digby saw the first capitol of New Zealand 'Russel' a tiny one pub town that looks unchanged since it was made capitol and then un made capitol.
Its really nice right up North, Digby went diving and has one of the most beautiful dives since starting the trip. He dived on two wrecks but one interstingly of the rainbow warrior (green peace) which was sunk by the french secret service in the 80's.
Pahia the town is a laid back town, you might come here to write a book or totaly disconect from the world.
The next day we drove to Matamata in search of Sophie herritage as this is were you find the Hobbit village were they filmed Lord of the Rings trilogy and the 2 Hobbit films due out December 2012 and the second December 2013.
Following this we stayed in Taupo and drove down the volcanic explorer high way past volacanoes steam and smoke rising every were from the ground, dark mountains looming ominously on the horizon. So driving into Mordor from Lord of the Rings. They missed out in the film there are loads of hotsprings and natural spa's to swim in and chill out.
The day after that Digby wanted to go Surfing so after batteling and driving down the forgotten world high way (it really is in the middle of no were, but loads of blockbuster opening credits scenery all around) we got to the surf high way. Unluckily for Digby every beach we went to the swell was well tiny so tiny it wasent even worth renting a board. Slightly defeated we continued up the coast.We then stopped inWaitomo and went intocaves 1000'sof years old and sawloads and loads of glow worms.Was quite aspiritual moment as our guide explained how Mauri culture they are a gift from the father in the sky to his unborn son in the womb of mother earth. He was right when its pitch black in the cave you look up they do look like stars.
We head back to Auckland were we went to the Zoo to see kiwi bird, weird they look quite defensles can't fly and have bad eye sight, unsuprisinly there arent that many of them left. But they are quite a novilty to see. We also visited the museam and learnt heaps about the Mauri people.
This is an amazing country there are so many places and out door sports, if you like walking trekking, skiing or just wicked scenery and the great outdoors this is definatly the place. We thought the people in Australia were chilled out and laid back, the kiwi's take this to a new cool they are supper chilled out people.
We cannot wait to come back here and explore loads more!!!
It's a big change for us after the orange desert of Australia to be on this very very green island. We dont think we have ever seen grass so soft, so lush, so bright green its so perfect it looks photoshoped but hey its real life!
Green hills every were and lots of Friesian Cows and even more sheep infact there are so many sheep here that if each one was a Euro it would be enough for the ECB to finaly bail out Greece.
We rented a car for the week and drove all around the North island.
It was so weird for us to be in a car again! All though it was a 1999 Dihatshu peanut car after driving a van in Australia for so long this felt like a Lotus Elise (avery cheap one). Sitting in a normal car it feels like your arse is on the tarmac. We really missed driving the van to be high up and see everything. Its much easier to drive long distances etc. But Digby (as we had total insurance cover) enjoyed driving our dihatsu like he was playing a ralley driving game. (Here it may say high way on the map with a straight line but you get a curvey dirt mountain road)
First we headed North out of Auckland to the Bay of Islands and stayed in Paihia. We visited the hut were the treaty between the British and the Mauri was signed creating New Zealand. Digby saw the first capitol of New Zealand 'Russel' a tiny one pub town that looks unchanged since it was made capitol and then un made capitol.
Its really nice right up North, Digby went diving and has one of the most beautiful dives since starting the trip. He dived on two wrecks but one interstingly of the rainbow warrior (green peace) which was sunk by the french secret service in the 80's.
Pahia the town is a laid back town, you might come here to write a book or totaly disconect from the world.
The next day we drove to Matamata in search of Sophie herritage as this is were you find the Hobbit village were they filmed Lord of the Rings trilogy and the 2 Hobbit films due out December 2012 and the second December 2013.
Following this we stayed in Taupo and drove down the volcanic explorer high way past volacanoes steam and smoke rising every were from the ground, dark mountains looming ominously on the horizon. So driving into Mordor from Lord of the Rings. They missed out in the film there are loads of hotsprings and natural spa's to swim in and chill out.
The day after that Digby wanted to go Surfing so after batteling and driving down the forgotten world high way (it really is in the middle of no were, but loads of blockbuster opening credits scenery all around) we got to the surf high way. Unluckily for Digby every beach we went to the swell was well tiny so tiny it wasent even worth renting a board. Slightly defeated we continued up the coast.We then stopped inWaitomo and went intocaves 1000'sof years old and sawloads and loads of glow worms.Was quite aspiritual moment as our guide explained how Mauri culture they are a gift from the father in the sky to his unborn son in the womb of mother earth. He was right when its pitch black in the cave you look up they do look like stars.
We head back to Auckland were we went to the Zoo to see kiwi bird, weird they look quite defensles can't fly and have bad eye sight, unsuprisinly there arent that many of them left. But they are quite a novilty to see. We also visited the museam and learnt heaps about the Mauri people.
This is an amazing country there are so many places and out door sports, if you like walking trekking, skiing or just wicked scenery and the great outdoors this is definatly the place. We thought the people in Australia were chilled out and laid back, the kiwi's take this to a new cool they are supper chilled out people.
We cannot wait to come back here and explore loads more!!!
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