New Zealand - North and South

Hello Friends.

Welcome to another episode of our world travels. Make yourself comfortable and enjoy.

After leaving Melbourne, we flew to Queenstown on the southern island of New Zealand.

These were the views from our small patio. Breath-taking and quite priceless.

One of the places we visited during our stay was Arrowtown. This was an early gold mining town that still retains the charm and ruggedness of those bygone days. In 1862, after Jack Tewa discovered gold in the Arrow River, a large mining community was established on its banks. 

We also took a stroll along the river, enjoying the scenery and views which were worth more than any gold.

Later, we sat and had lunch alongside a few feathered friends who were looking for some crumbs.

That same evening, we enjoyed a river cruise on an old steamship on Lake Wakatipu, taking in more stunning views, followed by a BBQ dinner, and then a demonstration of sheep shearing and the job of a sheep dog.

Another day, we drove south of Queenstown, where we took more scenic photos, including shots of an area used to film parts of 'The Lord of the Rings'.

Time to move on again, this time to Rotorua on North Island. 

Once we had settled into our accommodation, we were ready for a new adventure. This time to Hobbiton, the set used for 'The Hobbit' and some of 'The Lord of the Rings'. I have seen the films but not read the books yet. We had an excellent guide who explained lots of details about the set and its construction. We saw Hobbit homes and gardens as well as the Shire. We also enjoyed some ginger ale refreshments at 'The Green Dragon'.

While we were in Rotorua, we also spent time in the Waimangu Volcanic Valley, a hydrothermal and geothermal area created in 1886 by the volcanic eruption of Mount Tarawera. Although all the vegetation was destroyed, by the 1890s onwards, the valley began to repopulate naturally with native algae, mosses and ferns as well as shrubs and trees. 

We followed a self-guided tour from the visitors centre along a trail to the lake, then enjoyed more incredible views from a small cruise boat.

Our stay in Rotorua would also not have been complete without attending a Māori cultural and dining event. We were taught a few greetings and songs, as well as demonstrations and talks about traditional Māori culture. We were also treated to the arrival of Mauri warriors paddling their war canoe down the Wai-O-Whiro stream. Finally, we enjoyed a traditional hangi buffet dinner. Hangi is a method of cooking that uses heated rocks in an underground pit to simmer food, retaining flavour and tenderness. It was delicious.

Our last stop in New Zealand was Auckland. We were only there for a day, so we made the most of our time by visiting the Sky Tower to get views of the city. The viewing level was on the 53rd floor. I was very brave and took one photo beneath my feet on the glass platform before taking the lift up to the 60th floor for more aerial views.

(The view under my feet but 53 floors up!)

The next part of our adventure involved crossing the International Date Line as we headed to Honolulu—more about that next time. 

I hope the start of December and Advent is a good one and that you have a good week x