Yes, today was pretty scary to say the least but we are alive and well so dont panic.
Back to Auckland. We were picked up at 8am by our very funny and friendly tour leader Nick. Our group is 25 people plus Nick. Travellers from Sweden, Finland, England, France, Denmark, Isreal and Wales! Big variaty of age and background so its no trek america but still great. Plus the major difference is that we travel shorter distances on a smaller island and we stay in a lodge or hostel every night - spoilt!
First day we visited a dormant volcano in Auckland then journeyed round to the Coromandel region to stay at Hahei, stopping for some tree hugger shots with the huge Kauri trees. Checked in in our quad cabins mum and I got ready for the wet weather and Nick dropped us all at the top of the walk down to Cathedral Cove. It was really beautiful with the walk through such different foliage to what the UK has and the cove itself was rainy but stunning. The arch in the rock there was used at the beginning of the second Narnia movie if you're familiar with it (except it was sunny when they filmed...). Very wet and back at the resort, food was prepped for dinner and the we threw on our swim stuff and headed down to a thermal beach where we dug our own holes or 'borrowed' other peoples and lay in the bath like water listening to the colder ocean lapping against the shore. What better way to get to know your group than everyone stripping down to their swimmers on a bus! It was so relaxing once you found the right temp. and then quicly ran back to the bus to shower for a great BBQ dinner together!
Next day was Rotorua and we did a half hour walk to a stunning panoramic view point first thing. I'm suffering from motion sickness in the bus a bit which is really odd for me but I think its because the seats are higher so the space feels really small and all the roads here are tiny and bumpy. Mum felt it a bit to but we just got on with it. And I slipped on my bum on the way back down - mum managed it much more gracefully!
One stop along the way was for an L&P which is a drink that was created in the area from the mineral water with lemon. It's famous in NZ and Really refreshing!
The afternoon was great fun! a couple of people explored the town, one or two hit the spa but a small group of us went to Luge!! I cant really explain what it is just google it! We raced really fast and had 6 goes. I even got mum on the advanced track twice. It was So much fun. Only one accident but Stephs fine now, just a few bruises. The rain poured down on us on our last ski lift up to the top to finish and Mum and I got absolutley soaked! No time to change as it was straight on the bus at 4pm for our Maori Culteral experiance.
We were welcomed and sung in the village, greeted with a handshake and nose bump from each family member as is custom then shown to our group rooms (12 in each) with the designs carved all over the walls. With songsheets we learnt to sing a song with them which we had to perform later in front of all the other evening guests. Our youngest guy (Mr Wales) was selected as Cheif of our 'tribe' and had to face the other warriors to enter their village where we were able to learn all about Maori life and warfare. The singing and dancing performance was amazing! Then our underground cooked Hangi meal was lush! the beds campfire was a great finish and the beds were comfy.
Up and out next morning to view the powerful Huku Falls then just around the corner went for another swim in a hot stream. Blue Duck lodge was the acommodation that night and all the work their doing there is outstanding. The are working to get their land back to bush land to clean the rivers and help the endangered Blue Duck which is being hunted out by ferrets and dying from the dirty river. The jeep tour was scary and muddy, we were up pretty high. Mum wen in another jeep that went gost shooting! I kid you not. A bullet went through one goat and hit another and she went CSI on tracking blood to find the injusred goat....
I'm running out of time but today we hiked up through the Tongariro mnt by Mnt Doom and it took 7 hours. The wind and rain picked up and we felt like we were going to be thrown off the mountain. I cried at the top and called jimmy for prayer. But over the summit we had some stunning views I'll talk about later! Mum did it too!!! Ankles are Throbbing now.....
to be continued...
Love you all xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Back to Auckland. We were picked up at 8am by our very funny and friendly tour leader Nick. Our group is 25 people plus Nick. Travellers from Sweden, Finland, England, France, Denmark, Isreal and Wales! Big variaty of age and background so its no trek america but still great. Plus the major difference is that we travel shorter distances on a smaller island and we stay in a lodge or hostel every night - spoilt!
First day we visited a dormant volcano in Auckland then journeyed round to the Coromandel region to stay at Hahei, stopping for some tree hugger shots with the huge Kauri trees. Checked in in our quad cabins mum and I got ready for the wet weather and Nick dropped us all at the top of the walk down to Cathedral Cove. It was really beautiful with the walk through such different foliage to what the UK has and the cove itself was rainy but stunning. The arch in the rock there was used at the beginning of the second Narnia movie if you're familiar with it (except it was sunny when they filmed...). Very wet and back at the resort, food was prepped for dinner and the we threw on our swim stuff and headed down to a thermal beach where we dug our own holes or 'borrowed' other peoples and lay in the bath like water listening to the colder ocean lapping against the shore. What better way to get to know your group than everyone stripping down to their swimmers on a bus! It was so relaxing once you found the right temp. and then quicly ran back to the bus to shower for a great BBQ dinner together!
Next day was Rotorua and we did a half hour walk to a stunning panoramic view point first thing. I'm suffering from motion sickness in the bus a bit which is really odd for me but I think its because the seats are higher so the space feels really small and all the roads here are tiny and bumpy. Mum felt it a bit to but we just got on with it. And I slipped on my bum on the way back down - mum managed it much more gracefully!
One stop along the way was for an L&P which is a drink that was created in the area from the mineral water with lemon. It's famous in NZ and Really refreshing!
The afternoon was great fun! a couple of people explored the town, one or two hit the spa but a small group of us went to Luge!! I cant really explain what it is just google it! We raced really fast and had 6 goes. I even got mum on the advanced track twice. It was So much fun. Only one accident but Stephs fine now, just a few bruises. The rain poured down on us on our last ski lift up to the top to finish and Mum and I got absolutley soaked! No time to change as it was straight on the bus at 4pm for our Maori Culteral experiance.
We were welcomed and sung in the village, greeted with a handshake and nose bump from each family member as is custom then shown to our group rooms (12 in each) with the designs carved all over the walls. With songsheets we learnt to sing a song with them which we had to perform later in front of all the other evening guests. Our youngest guy (Mr Wales) was selected as Cheif of our 'tribe' and had to face the other warriors to enter their village where we were able to learn all about Maori life and warfare. The singing and dancing performance was amazing! Then our underground cooked Hangi meal was lush! the beds campfire was a great finish and the beds were comfy.
Up and out next morning to view the powerful Huku Falls then just around the corner went for another swim in a hot stream. Blue Duck lodge was the acommodation that night and all the work their doing there is outstanding. The are working to get their land back to bush land to clean the rivers and help the endangered Blue Duck which is being hunted out by ferrets and dying from the dirty river. The jeep tour was scary and muddy, we were up pretty high. Mum wen in another jeep that went gost shooting! I kid you not. A bullet went through one goat and hit another and she went CSI on tracking blood to find the injusred goat....
I'm running out of time but today we hiked up through the Tongariro mnt by Mnt Doom and it took 7 hours. The wind and rain picked up and we felt like we were going to be thrown off the mountain. I cried at the top and called jimmy for prayer. But over the summit we had some stunning views I'll talk about later! Mum did it too!!! Ankles are Throbbing now.....
to be continued...
Love you all xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
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