Largest kauri tree in NZ / Tarawera descent at 70 degrees slope
New Zealand North & South Island
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Largest kauri tree in NZ / Tarawera descent at 70 degrees slope
Day 1 - The brothers Yong and two others arrived and stayed in Auckland.
Day 2 & 3 - Dargaville is 4 hours from Auckland is renowned for its kauri forests with some giant trees matching the redwoods of America.
Day 4 & 5- Paihai, 4 hours away, has the most beautiful bay in NZ with hundreds of islands. Hightlight is the Treaty House in Waitangi, pretty Russell Island with much of the colonial buildings still intact.
Day 6 to 8- Black water rafting in Waitomo Caves, glow worms and abseiling, on the way to Rotorua. This town is the sulphur capital of NZ. Highlights are the lugee (freewheeling down a steep hill on a small cart) and white waters called the Kaituna Cascades, which ends in a 10m drop down a vertical waterfall. A whole day was spend on Tarawera 4WD trip which involved geyser watching, Te Whakarewarewa thermal reserve, beautiful waterfalls and a trek down the 60 degrees pumice slopes of still active Tarawera Volcano.
Triple fall out of a hill, Rotorua / Bungee in Kuwarau Gorge
Day 9 & 10-.Visited the largest hedge maze in NZ enroute to Taupo where we had a hangi feast.. Also found in Taupo is the touristy Huka Village. Today drive also 4 hours.
Day 11 & 12 - Long drive to pleasent Wellington for the ferry to Picton on the South Island and Kaikora.
Day 13 - Kaikora is world renowned for whale and dolpin watching. There were also a lot of seabirds including the albatross, which has the widest wing span among birds. Sonars or sound sensors are used to locate the whales.
Whaleboat in Kaikora / Whitewater in Shotover River
Day 14 & 15 - Had sufficient time to browse Christchurch, which is only 3 hours away. Left early for another short drive to Porter's ski fields. Also did a night climb with hostel manager.
Day 16 & 17 - Lunch of Hokatika delicious white bait fish which spawns once a year and visits to Franz Josef & Fox Glaciers.
Day 18 to 20 - Queenstown the play capital of NZ. White watered and jetboated the Shotover River, bungeed the Kuwarau Gorge and play war games with pellet guns.
Day 21 & 22- Had sumptous cheap lobsters in Te Anau and Mirror Lakes. Dunedin was founded by Scottish settlers and also home to one of the rarest penguins in the world.
Day 23 - Stayed at Peter's Farm Hostel in Ranfurly which is a working sheep farm.
Day 24 & 25 - Onwards to Christchurch described as the most English of all NZ cities, which was also our final destination before going home.