The South Island

Waikato Rive, originally uploaded by jokecamp.

I'm now in Nelson on the South Island. The ferry ride form the North Island to the South island was an impressive three hour trip so I don't imagine I will come back north until I have finished with the South Island. Nelson is most commonly used for a launching point into the Abel Tasman National Park. We are taking a kayaking trip into the park tomorrow.

On top of Mount Ngauruhoe

On top of Mount Ngauruhoe, originally uploaded by jokecamp.

The other day I did the Tongariro Crossing just south of Taupo. It is often regarded as one of the best day hikes in the world. We probably hiked a good 9 hours. The picture above shows the optional hike up Mount Ngauruhoe, which stands at about 2200 meters. It was a very difficult hike and required a lot of hand over hand scrambling. The view on top was above the clouds and amazing but was freezing cold.

Rotorua and Waitomo

Riding up for the Luge, originally uploaded by jokecamp.

The dollar continues to gain against the New Zealand dollar so I got that going for me. A few days ago in Waitomo a small group of us did black water rafting. That involved tubing inside a cave river. We started by climbing up two water falls inside the cave then floated down narrow ceilings and tight corners. The glowworms were an amazing flouresnt green. The climax of the trip involved a 3 meter drop backwards into darkness. My head vibrated from the impact of the water for a good minute afterwards.

I also did several runs on a downhill luge. There was an intermediate and advanced course. The intermediate was ideal for racing but the advanced course was quite fast and curvy. As you went down the hill you would see the signs that screamed at you to slow down for the turn but I always told myself they were more guidlines. Needless to say on a couple turns I was eating dirt and still have a few bruises but it was great fun.

I'm in the center of the North Island now in Taupo. It lays on lake Taupo, the biggest lake in New Zealand. I plan on hanging here for about a week.

Paihia and the Top of NZ

View From Russell To Paihia, originally uploaded by jokecamp.

Before leaving Auckland I got a chance to visit the Volcanic island of Rangitoto. It last erupted 600 years ago and scientists have no idea when it will erupt again. On the island I was able to climb the summit and do a little bit of amateur spelunking.

Since then I've travelled north from Auckland to Paihia (Bay of Islands). Paihia is a tiny town on an island infested bay that is mainly visited by tourists and backpackers. A friend and I took two kayaks across the bay to the town of Russell. The same town that was considered the "hellhole of the Pacific" 170 years ago. It is also noted that Charles Darwin once described it as the "refuse of society." On arrival it was dissapointing to see that the town had lost its character and cleaned up into a high-end tourist destination. But it was still an impressive distance to paddle, especially against the wind.

While in Paihia we took a day trip north. We visited the Ninety mile beach and our pimped out tour bus took us off-roading on the beach. Along the way we hit up some sand dunes for some sand boarding. The rides were surpisingly fast and the dune was damn hard to climb up again and again so I only made three climbs which was on par with the rest of the group. The best part was watching people wipe out in crazy and elaborate fashions eating sand all the way down.

The last part of the day trip we visited Cape Reinga. This is the Northern most tip of New Zealand where the Tasman Sea meets the Pacific ocean. The Maori beleive that when they died their soul would travel to the cape and use it as a jumping off point for the soul to begin the journey back to their spiritual homeland.

I am back in Auckland for the day but then I start heading south to Mercury Bay.

Welcome to Auckland, New Zealand

Auckland From the Ferry, originally uploaded by jokecamp.

I'm in Auckland after flying from Oklahoma City to Denver to LA to Fiji then finally landing in Auckland, New Zealand. It was exhausting and it really did feel like I had travelled into the future. I am a day ahead over here so if you guys want me to predict sports scores or stock prices for you I can do that.

I've been exploring downtown and getting a feel for the city. With the cars, clothes and buildings sometimes I feel like I'm stuck in the 90s. But the city is a lot of fun and has a good vibe. So far I've risen to the top of the Sky Tower, climbed a nearby volcanoe called Rangitoto, had some fish n chips and sampled some of the local beer. The beer called Tui is pretty solid. It taste like a mix of Newcastle and Yeungling.

I've taken more pictures but it is hard to get them uploaded at the moment.