New Zealand: North Island

For February break, we decided on New Zealand as our next adventure. We landed in Auckland and drove south to Waitomo. We stayed at Waitomo Hotel which promptly reminded me of scenes from The Shining. The next day we did black water rafting. Zipped up in wet suits, wearing hard hats and clutching an inner tube, we floated, splashed through a dark cave and marveled at glow worms. It was a cold ride but so much fun. Afterwards, we had lunch at Hulu Hulu, Emma devoured a steak with gusto. We liked it so much we came back for dinner!

The next day we explored more caves around the area and saw more glowworms. It was so cool to be in a dark cave and looking up to see "stars".

Our next stop was Rotorua. Rotorua is known for its thermal activity and Maori culture. But to get us into swing of things, we headed to Mount Ngongotaha for Skyline Skyrides. The view was spectacular up there. And, of course, the luge was fantastic. We went on countless times.

We also visited the White Island, New Zealand's most active volcano. All visitors must wear a hard hat and gas mask.

After a few days in Rotorua, we headed to Hobbiton. We partied under the Party Tree and visited the hobbit homes. Lauren and Emma were delighted to explore the hobbit holes.

Here are some pictures from the trip.

Hiking in Waitomo















Luging in Rotorua



















Going for another run














Boating around Lake Rotorua















White Island














Horseback riding in Rotorua














Peering out of Bilbo's house















View of the Party Tree















Feeding baby lambs














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