New Zealand Part II: North Island with Mom, Debbie, and Satomi

Feb 13, 2019 Wednesday

It was a painful 4am wake up, but we needed to fly to the North Island bright and early to embark on a 609 mile road trip in 5 days (for a grand total of 1139 miles around New Zealand).  My travel buddy Satomi had flown into the North Island the night prior and met up with us in Auckland.  It was our 9^th trip together, and our 5^th international trip in 5 years.  I was happy she was able to join us as a last minute addition and as an added bonus, she even brought along much-needed itch relief medication for my sandfly bites.

Sunrise flight 

North Island road trip

The long drive to Waitomo was fairly uneventful, other than one unpleasant run-in with an angry driver.  Lunch was a success as we had been on the search for a dessert cheese plate, and finally found one!

Cheese plate, at last!

Our 4^th and final viewing of glowworms was a magnificent tour of Waitomo caves.  We walked walk through two caves, one of which included a boat ride that probably had triple number of glowworms I’d ever seen in one sitting.

Headlamps for the first cave

Second cave 

So many glowworms that they showed up on my iPhone!

Our tour guide Mark was actually not normally a tour guide, but a gardener who Satomi described as “the kind of person who would survive if you dropped him onto an island.”  At one point, he held meat in the water, which lured out several eels from the caves.  He let the eels bite him and ended up with blood on his hands, which seemed to excite the eels even more.  This guy was crazy... and was also my hero.  He let me feed and pet the eels too, though I wasn’t brave enough to let them bite me.  For some reason, nobody else in the group ventured near the eels.

Mark holding an eel

Feeding and petting eels!

Close up of 4 eels

It was another couple hours drive to National Park before we were finally able to kick back, relax, split some pizza, and soak in a hot tub before bed.

Feb 14, 2019 Thursday

Today was hiking day, which was a welcome break from driving!  The only thing on our agenda was the 12 mile Tongariro Crossing Day Hike.  We hiked in pairs, with me and Satomi just a little in front of Mom and Debbie.  It was very hot and crowded at times, but worth it to see sulfur lakes in volcanic landscapes.  All 4 lakes we saw were a different, vivid shade of green or blue.  

The psych-you-out sign!

Mount Ngauruhoe, which is apparently Mt Doom from Lord of the Rings

The first three lakes - all had striking bright colors

Hot loose gravel path to the 1st lake

Taking a break between the first 2 lakes

The 3rd lake - the water colors looked different up close!

The last lake

Fumaroles (openings in/near volcanos that emit stinky sulfur gas)

Feeling accomplished, we celebrated with a big dinner of cheese fondue, prawns, lamb shanks, chocolate fondue. and crème brulee.  We split a load of laundry, providing us with an unexpected couple sets of clean clothes to last the rest of our trip.  Then we soaked our feet in the hot tub.

Feb 15, 2019 Friday

Making our way around the North Island in a counter-clockwise circuit, we next drove east to Rotorua.  On the way, we spent the morning at Wai-O-Tapu, where we explored the geothermal park.  Mom has seen similar formations at Yellowstone, but I’ve never been there so most of it was new to me and blew my mind.

Lady Knox Geyser - the eruption is induced daily by pouring in soap

Movie of Lady Knox Geyser:

Wai-O-Tapu

Artist's Palette

Playing with the panorama feature at Champagne Pool

The only photo of all 4 of us

Close up of bubbles at Champagne Pool

Rua Pumahu - sounds from this crater were used when filming scenes of Mordor for the Lord of the Rings trilogy

Lake Ngakoro

Roto Karikitea

In need of shade, we next went to the Polynesian Spa.  Massages were unavailable, but we enjoyed lunch at the café there and booked a couple private pools for the evening. 

Lunch

Then we went zorbing, where we rolled down a hill in a giant plastic sphere filled partly with water.  I’m not sure what I was expecting but it wasn’t that, and I loved it even more than I hoped.  We went in pairs for the first ride, and Satomi suggested I go with Mom so we could giggle.  Satomi, Mom, and I loved it enough to do it a second time and went all together in one ball.

Me and Mom feeling excited!

Satomi and Debbie - not quite as excited

Awkwardly getting into the zorbing ball

Video of zorbing with Mom and Satomi:

There was some drama with the host at our next hostel, but we were able to eventually settle in.  Debbie and Mom took a break, while Satomi and I visited Whakarewarewa Redwood Forest, where we walked along big suspension bridges overlooking redwoods and tree ferns.

Suspension bridges

Me with tree ferns

Satomi with redwoods

Lanterns hanging from the trees

Everyone gathered back together for a relaxing soak in our spas.  We paired off in two different pools, with Mom and Debbie in one and me and Satomi in the other.  Mom bought me a new swimsuit as a gift for my upcoming birthday.

Serenity

New swimsuit

Newly rested, we walked into town for a nice dinner of scallops, gnocchi, the biggest mussels I’ve ever seen, and another dessert cheese plate!

Love these cheese plates!

Though we were all very tired by this point, we decided to return to Whakarewarewa Redwood Forest so we could see the lanterns lit up.  It was far more crowded at night and they only let a few people up at a time so we ended in what felt like a Disney World line, but the wait was worth it.

So different at night

Beautiful lanterns

These lights gradually transformed and went through all the colors of the rainbow

Feb 16, 2019 Saturday

On our last full day in New Zealand, we slept in and enjoyed breakfast while overlooking Rotorua from our hostel. 

View from the hostel

We debated between visiting Hobbiton versus hiking at Karangahake Gorge, and decided on the latter.  We forgot it was Saturday and were surprised to find the small parking lot full, but lucked out with a space.  It was a good thing, because it was a perfect day to wander on old railroad tracks and mining tunnels that snaked through the gorge.  Satomi was achy from the Tongariro, but she powered through.

Old railroad track

Outside the mining tunnels

Inside the mining tunnels

Looking out onto the gorge

Karangahake Gorge

Down by the water

My 4'10" mother had to jump to get her head high enough.

The Coromandel Peninsula was our last vacation spot in New Zealand.  I didn’t realize we’d have to take a shuttle to Cathedral Cove, and in order to make it back in time before the shuttles stopped running, we had to race through the path.  Even though we were short on time and hadn’t realized we should wear swimsuits, Mom and I couldn’t resist jumping into the inviting water down at the cove.

Gemstone Bay

Photo taken right after Mom ran into Satomi

Stingray Bay

Cathedral Cove

Close enough to wearing swimsuits

Back at our lodge, we ate fish and chips and chatted while waiting for the low tide so we could go to the Hot Water Beach.  At first, I was worried that the low tide was so late that we would be too tired to enjoy it but it turned that we were lucky to have a late low tide because it kept the heat and crowds down. 

Trying out airplane sleeping apparatuses

I was excited when the time finally came to walk to the Hot Water Beach at about 8:30pm.  It was everything that had been described to me, but it was still an unreal and incredible experience.  The ocean water was cold, but if you dug into the sand with a shovel, hot water came up from underneath.  We lay in our own personal hot tub under the moon and stars, listening to the soothing rumble of the ocean.

You have to be there to believe it

  

Feb 17, 2019 Sunday

After our last breakfast together, we headed back into Auckland.  With mixed feelings, we all said goodbye at the airport.  Mom and Debbie flew to VA, while Satomi and I went home to Honolulu on different airlines.  I took Fiji Airways and thankfully, my flight home was smooth and uneventful.

Airport goodbyes

Travel buddies

Ukulele and guitar players performing at the Fiji layover