New Zealand

By Janna G // 28 January 2010 // Comments: 0 // Related Categories:

Before coming to Australia I visited the northern island of New Zealand. New Zealand is beautiful. Immediately I drove the three hours from Auckland to Rotorua and it was definitely worth it. There were miles and miles of green mountains filled with sheep and cows. The only negative part of the long drive was the excessive amount of roundabouts every couple of miles.

Rotorua itself is not the nicest smelling place because of the sulphur coming from the thermal pools but the sites are amazing. I went on a two-hour hike through the mountains and randomly there would be steam which I would follow and find thermal pools. From the sulphur and different minerals parts of the rocks would turn orange, red, yellow, and other blends of colours. I actually got to touch the water from the thermal pools and it was boiling hot and the mud in the thermal pools is said to be good for your skin (although the mud did not touch my skin except for on part of my foot that fell in some of the mud on the path).

I also went on a boat tour on the lake to see what the most recent volcanic eruption had done to the area. On this tour I learned that it is illegal to sell or buy trout in New Zealand and it is illegal to fish with live bait. My trip to Rotorua was not only exciting but I also learned a lot about how the land has shifted from the volcanos and the science behind thermal pools.

There are also many other areas to discover in New Zealand; there are many wineries, local beers, it is where Lord of the Rings was filmed, the hot beach that during low tied you can dig in the sand and the water will be hot, canoeing, caves with glow-worms, swimming with dolphins, and many other activities and sights to see for all. I would definitely suggest making this trip because I have never seen anything like it and it was a fun adventure.