Welcome to the land known as Kiwi – New Zealand

Welcome to the land known as Kiwi – New Zealand

We landed and going through customs was pretty seamless but there was a bit of a wait to x-ray the bag on the way out.

We caught the super shuttle from the airport to our hotel Apollo in the city center. We met a woman named Lori on the bus and she gave us the run down of her area where she lives. We also met a guy named Kim from Malaysia who’s currently a resident of Auckland, and an attorney.

Day 1

We checked into our hotel called the Apollo hotel on Nelson street. After a shower we took a short walk to breakfast to this place called Scarecrow on Victoria street.

We ended up leaving this place to walking around to find another place that had more of the type of breakfast we were looking for, and ended up stopping at Denny’s for some American style breakfast. The price was pretty reasonable,  something like $17 USD bucks person considering we were in the touristy area.

After breakfast we just walked about the streets of Auckland sightseeing and souvenir shopping.

We came across some pretty interesting people,  in particular a cartoonist who was doing a drawing on the sidewalk using only chalk and he hand as the eraser.

Once we left the cartoonist we continued up Queen street in search of what we were told were the best donuts in the world.

I can’t deny it, and this is coming from a person that grew up on the Southside of Chicago on dunkin donuts all his life, between this place and what I considered to be the Holy Grail of donuts and coffee Tim Horton’s, this place on K road is a very close 2nd, if not better.

We left the donut shop and past this place called The White House. It’s a nice spot for you to get out and enjoy Auckland nightlife while in town. Its sits right on Queen street about 2 blocks from K road.

After making it back to our hotel we ended up crashing for the night, waiting for the adventures of day 2 and what they would bring.

Day 2

We rented a car in the morning at the airport, and we are headed down to the south of North island, destinations are Waitomo and Rotorua.

The first part of the drive was very foggy for the 1st 100KM, after that the sun broke through and the drive was pretty smooth. On the way we stopped at a small cafe that allowed us to come in before business hours to use the restroom and take in the sights. It was only right that we sat down to eat some breakfast to show our gratitude. If you’re ever on Route 1 south in North Island make sure you stop and check out this little quaint cafe.

Not only was the food really good, you also could walk out back to the other section of the restaurant and get a quick history lesson of some New Zealand culture.

After eating, we hit the road again headed down to Waitomo and to see the glow worm caves. When you’re traveling the countryside of New Zealand just remember however long it takes to get to your destination you might as well add an hour into that because you will have to stop several times to take in the sights. New Zealand is full of mountains and breathtaking views of Rollins hills, and plenty of cows П

We finally made it down to Waitomo caves around 12 noon from leaving Auckland early morning.

There are over 50 plus different cave systems in the Waitomo region.  Also to note, if a person purchases land in Waitomo and that land has a cave on it, that person technically owns the cave and can do whatever they want with it.  We had the opportunity of taking one of the tours and met the owner of the cave we explored. His name is Ross the Boss and he was a very gracious guide in taking time to explain all there is to know about the caves,  the glow worms and the region.

After trekking the cave with Ross he took us out for a spot of tea. On the property they have constructed a house the very way the Maori people would have back in the day. He explained the different types of trees used for insulation and construction.  He also told us about Koi Koi plant. This plant is used for a various array of ailments one might have. Ross told us you could rub it on your skin and it removes infection overnight, also it can be used to cure skin diseases such as eczema. Nowadays they take the leaf of the plant, crush them up and make tea. The tea is used to actually balance people’s emotions.  For example if you’re feeling a bit depressed you could drink some and it will lift your spirits, or if you just need a natural boost it helps as well.

After a quick spot of tea and a cultural lesson from Ross we ventured out on a self guided nature walk and got chance to see some rapids and small caves.

After leaving the Waitomo caves,  we started our road trip to Rotorua. We rolled through countless little provinces such as Ortohanga and Cambridge.  Each province has it’s own unique style, but all filled with the Maori culture.

We arrived at Rotorua, what most people don’t know is this is a completely geo-thermal city. Meaning it’s pretty much an active volcano under this section of the North island. This lends to the almost suffocating smell of sulphur all over the city. With the worst of the smell coming from being right up on the waters Lake Rotorua. There all all times of sulphur ponds around the city and you can  just see steam rising everywhere. Its definitely a sight to see, but make sure you bring a mask with you.

   

The 2nd day while in Rotorua it rained the entire time but that didn’t stop us from sight seeing. Make sure if you come to Rotorua bring a nice rain jacket and some hiking shoes or boots. The terrain is ever changing, one minute you’ll be on flat ground then in a split second you’ll be walking on gravel and rock, or leaves and brush. Our 1st sight was the Te Puia cultural center.

Tickets were pretty reasonable for any natural attraction. Here you will get the chance to learn all there is to know about the Maori people,  where they originated from and how they settled in New Zealand from Tahiti. Also there are 7 major tribes of the Maori people. 6 of the tribes settled in the North island and 1 tribe settled in the South island.

Additional attractions are the natural sulphur geysers and the mud pools. They even have 2 live kiwi birds in a pitch black room where you’re not allowed to take any photos. Kiwis are nocturnal animals, hence the reason their enclosure is kept completely black.

We left the Te Puia cultural center then drove around to the Redwood forest. Here you can see Redwood trees that have been growing for years on this earth. Some of these trees grow to heights of 236 feet with girths that range up to 6 to 10 feet.

After getting soaked in the Redwood forest we took the drive down to Matamata.  This is also known as Hobbiton.  This is the location where the Lord of The Rings movies were filmed.

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