All done in Auckland

Finished the last of my travel adventures today and am back in Auckland now for the last supper. Tommorrow will consist of sleeping in (finally!), wandering around the harbour and probably going up the tower for a few hours, before catching the bus to fly back home. I leave at 7:15PM and arrive 30 minutes later at 7:45PM on the same day, after 18 hours in transit. Normally I'd be dreading the long flight, but that time difference is messing with my psyche and making me thing this will be nice and short.

Anywho, here's the final update from abroad...

Rotorua
Stinks. But it's pertty.

Wednesday was a pretty full day starting with a hike through Waimangu Valley, apparently the only volcanic ecosystem whose entire history is known from written records. It was an area of rolling hills until one night in 1886 a series of eruptions created a barren valley, wiping out all plants and birdlife in the process. A few minor coughs since then, it's now a lush forest, complete with hot water streams and boiling lakes. Highlight was Frying Pan Lake, so named because you can actually hear it sizzles. Quite bizarre to watch steam rising off an entire lake.

From there I squeezed in a visit to Te Puia, a combination Maori cultural and historic center, kiwi reserve, and geothermal park, complete with bubbling mud pools and steaming geysers. Highlight for me was finally spotting a kiwi. They are nocturnal birds, but the enclosure was setup with a reverse lighting system so they think it's night during the day and you get to see them active. In theory at least. I looked for 15 minutes and saw nothing. Came back after watching the geyser blow off it's steam and saw one just as it darted off again. It shocked me a little because I was expecting a little sparrow-sized thing, but it was like an overgrown bowling ball with hair. Runs like the dickens too.

For a night cap, I took in a Maori hangi... as expected, very much like a Hawaiin Lua, except that it was barely 4 degrees here. The food was pleasant but not as exciting as a Lua, although I enjoyed the entertainment far more. Less showy and more informative, demonstrating Maori welcome ceremonies, instruments, weapons (with staged fights between warriors), and the famous haka. I think I'll try greeting the airport security guards with that tomorrow. I'm sure they'll appreciate it and it won't cause any trouble at all, since it's part of their culture here (their sports teams do it before every game). The host was also very entertaining. There was less than 50 people there, but from 12 different countries. Impressively, he carried on a brief conversation with each person in their native tongue. Since I was the only Canadian, he just asked me how the hockey was going and moved on. :) All in all, a very cool cultural experience.

Waitomo
Made it back and true to their word, it was open. I didn't get to do the full Black Abyss tour I wanted that includes the rappelling, sorry in New Zealand that's abseiling, and spelunking, but did get to spend a couple hours walking through incredible caves with rapid streams, floating on tire tubes and jumping past the waterfalls. It felt treacherous, and you could barely see even with headlights. Many steps where taken on faith, assuming that because the water is frothing there, it must mean there's a rock to step on. Of course it probably wasn't as bad as it seemed, the guide seemed to have no trouble, but for us first timers it kept you on your toes. Or bellies in some cases... there were parts where you had to float on your stomach with your head turned sideways just to fit between the water and roof. For those who have been to Jerusalem, this put Hezekiah's tunnel to shame. Amazing!

Coromandel
Dropped off the car last night with no further incidents, then bussed back to Auckland. This morning I caught a coach tour to the Coromandel Peninsula to see Cathedral Cove, Hot Water Springs, and Driving Creek Railway. Another beautiful area, but I'll have to cut the description short as I'm almost out of Internet time.

In short, I have LOVED my time in New Zealand. It's such a beautiful and laid back country. Sleepy almost. In fact, I think they invented things like Black Water Rafting, Zorbing, Shweebing, Bungy jumps and the like just to keep the people awake. But it's wonderful and undisturbed place where one could be at their leisure for months on end. Great people too... humble, quiet, and unassuming. Reminds me of Saskatchewan... although the landscapes are more like the offspring of Scottland and Hawaii.

After more than 4 weeks though, I am more than ready to come home. Maybe not ready to return to work exactly. But ready to unpack and stay still for a bit. I miss my couch.

See y'all soon! Thanks for reading along.

PS. Summary post and pictures will be dealt with back home. Stay tuned for that, if you want.