NZ – North Island.

The adventure continued…

Hubble bubble toil and trouble... geothermal action in Rotorua.
The gases may turn the branches a pretty colour near the bubbling bits but it still all smells.
Cas´s patented stopping the smell technique. Either do this or take a gas mask. You don´t get used to it no matter what the people who work there say.
Right by horrible smelling sulphur-y smoke. It was quite impressive in a molten bubbling kind of way.
Green lakes? It´s just not right. No food colouring used promise.
One of the many Martinborough vineyards in the Wairarapa valley just outside Wellington.
Vines to make wines.
Tongariro National Park, North Island. First volcanoes of the trip.
Tongariro NP
Maori war canoe at Waitangi. This is still put to sea, and takes (if I remember rightly) over 100 people to paddle it. Fabulous, and not a little intimidating.
The head of the Maori war canoe, Waitangi.
The flags of Britain, the first flag of NZ, and at the top, today´s NZ flag. Waitangi.
Waitangi Treaty Grounds. Where NZ as we know it was born.
Detail from the Maori Treaty House, Waitangi.
Paua shell eye decoration on the Treaty House.
A little blue penguin doing its own thing in the Bay of Islands.
Bottlenose or common dolphins. We saw both in the Bay of Islands and my zoology degree was a long time ago.
Our boat went through the hole in the rock. Madness.
Happy to be out the other side. Top driving lady boat captain.
Orca, Bay of Islands
Alex takes some great photos...
Orca and the scientists studying them. A good day at the office.
Orca. Done.

NZ – South Island.

Some of our favourite places in South Island. North Island to follow…

At our friends´farm. Lush.
My first motorbike. Out with Ken on the farm - I held so tight to the handlebars that the grips left an imprint in my hands. Didn´t get out of first gear either! Will do better next time...
One of my favourite places. Lake Wakatipu from Queenstown beach.
Head of Lake Wakatipu - think Lord of the Rings
Two very happy campers at Lake Wakatipu on the way up to Glenorchy. One of the best places I´ve ever been.
Spot the tourists. The bum bags were to hold our crampons, so at least that´s a bit mountaineering-y. On the glacier at Franz Josef.
The awesome Tasman Sea at Karamea at the northern end of the West Coast, South Island.
Mirror Tarn, Oparara Basin, north of Karamea.
Alex and our kayaks, Abel Tasman National Park, post orca visit.
Dinner time for them or me? At the Acquapackers, Abel Tasman National Park
The Japanese garden in Nelson, north end of South Island. Spot the Cas.
Cas, garden, Nelson.
The centre of New Zealand. Only it´s not really, it´s about 50k away. It´s a nice plaque though.
Big pointy thing pointing to the not centre of NZ (Alex explored all this - I was lying in a hammock in the sunshine at the backpackers).
The gorgeous Kennepuru Sound, part of Marlborough Sounds.
Alex at Kaikoura, swimming with dusky dolphins. It was just a *little* bit cold.
Dusky dolphins, Kaikoura
Wandering albatross, Kaikoura. Wandering.