Taupo

Lake Taupo is the largest lake in New Zealand and as always was beautiful!







The town has a population of 21,000 yet there is plenty to do! Taupo is famous for Trout Fishing. The lake is well stocked with trout and people come from all over to fish the lake. Taupo is a gorgeous city that has it all! Taupo has the best deal in New Zealand for Skydiving, with one of the packages a 'limo' will pick you up from your accomodation and take you to the airport for the skydiving. Kayla and I saw the 'limo' and in actuality its a stretch Honda Civic! We had a good laugh. Some highlights include thermal parks, volcano hikes, boating, bungy jumping over the Waikato River and Maori culture expierences. From Downtown you can take a short 5 minute walk to the waterfront and see Mt. Ruapehu before you in the distance.



Mt. Ruapehu (rua “pit”, pehu “to explode”) is an active volcano and only one of three in the world to have snow and ice surrounding its crater lake. It has 8 glaciers which are the only glaciers on the North Island. The last major eruption was in 1996 and the last lahar was in March 2007. Despite the danger, Mt. Ruapehu is the largest developed ski area in New Zealand.

To the North East of the City is the Tongariro Alpine Crossing. It is a 6-8 hr hike through MT. Tongariro, which is also considered an active volcano. However its last eruption was in 1926. Its recommended to hike it from Nov-May, and due to a lack of time I wasnt able to take the hike.

Taupo has a third volcano, Mt. Ngauruhoe. The Maori consider it to be apart of Mt. Tongariro and geologist have confirmed this belief. Mt Ruapehu, Mt Ngauruhoe and Mt Tongariro are part of a line of volcanic activity that stretches across the Pacific Ocean called the Pacific Ring of Fire.

{information taken from www.visitruapehu.com and lonely planet guide book}

I did take a stroll along Lake Taupo and encountered a few friendly birds.



The Australian Black Swan



an albatros



the black billed gull



Paradise Duck

On our way back from the walk, we saw an incredible sunset! Kayla captured it beautifully.

Rotorua

Rotorua is a touristy town and geothermal hot spot. There are many different geothermal parks to see but they were a bit pricey for a student budget. So I stuck to the free parks instead.



The town calls itself Roto-vegas...which is a rather far stretch. There are alot of attractions but it reminded me more of a subdued Gatlinburg than Vegas. Either way, it gave us something to giggle about.

My favorite thing about Rotorua, $2 Coffee!



the sign boasted "Home of the LARGE $2 coffee" That is what they served. not exactly what an american would consider a Large but it was good anyhow.

One thing we did conquer in Rotorua is the ZORB. The Zorb is an inflatable ball that you dive into and then roll down a hill. It was a blast! Kayla and I opted for the Zydro in which the ball is filled with warm water and then we are splishing and splashing all the way down. Once we were in we had to stand and push ourselves down the hill.


-image via zorb.com

This is a photo of the outside of the Zorb. Its quite massive.


-image via zorb.com

This is the inside of the zydro zorb. obviously its not us...but you get the idea right?!

Next we went offroading. It was hard to believe that I went to New Zealand to go offroading for the first time but it was pretty fun!



as you can see we got stuck. but not for long!

90 mile beach and Cape Reinga

The second day we took a day trip up to the tip of New Zealand, Cape Reinga.





I did climb to the top of the hill as pictured here to take the first photo. The views were spectacular! Although it was a slightly overcast day, the water was the deepest shade of blue i've seen.









The water cresting shows where the Tasman and Pacific Oceans meet.

Along the way, we stopped at a Kauri forest. The Kauri trees are prevelant in the North island of New Zealand and can get up to 50 meters in height and 16 meters in girth. The morning we arrived was a very misty morning, which added to the abeyance of the forest. The Maori used the Kauri trees to craft canoes, ship masts and home building.



Its a jungle out there! Thankfully there aren't any preditorial animals to give us a fright!







Another pit stop at the sand dunes! This was such a thrilling experience! Once the bus stopped, Kayla and I were among the first to scramble up to the top of the dune. We started out at a run, then a jog, then a slow crawl as the incline kept increasing with the height. Once we looked down and saw the magnitude of what we had gotten ourselves into we just shook our heads and went for it. the only way down was on our stomachs on boogie boards. It felt like i was flying at 100mph! Luckily i made to the bottom with out wiping out! however the nail polish was rubbed off my toes and the knees of my jeans became worn out, but it was worth it!



The day ended with a long drive down 90mile beach. Driving down the beach is the best way to get out of town!

Bay of Islands: Tour to Hole in the Rock

To start off the mid-semester break, Erin, Kayla and I headed out for the Paihia in the Bay of Islands! In the summertime it is a coveted holiday destination. It is one of the most beautiful places!



It was a long overnight bus ride but well worth the trouble! 13hrs later we arrive in Paihia, a sleepy little beach town with a great view. It rained most of the day but it did not stop us from doing a bit of exploring. Besides, we saw a few rainbows as well.



This is my favorite place in Paihia. The rope swing is always inviting.







The second day we got up early and booked a boat tour! We went with the Great Sights company; a wonderful touring group that has tours in nearly every town in New Zealand. Throughout the course of the morning, we cruised around to 12 different islands and saw the illustrious Hole in the Rock. It was too breezy to be able to cruise through the hole but well worth the trip out to see it!



Taylor's Island





This is where the Bay meets the Pacific



The water was truly that blue. It made for an incredible view.



Cape Brett Lighthouse






We stopped at one of the islands to stretch our legs. This is the marshland we passed through on our climb to the top of the hill.



After looking at this muddy climb, i embraced the kiwi lifestyle and threw off my sandals and walked barefoot the rest of the way.



as always, the view is worth the hike!





The rain started to roll in. Time to run back to the boat!



Here it is...the hole in the rock. The rock is a bit more massive than i thought.



sailboat through the hole in the rock



we made it! Erin, Kayla and Me









My new dream house. Private Island hideaway. Spectacular!

Indian Independence Day

There is a long nature walk around the outskirts of campus. As always, the scenery is beautiful!



the fence surrounding the pond glides into the water! There isn't a ramp, its just as if the builder couldn't just stop at the bank.



The Te Apiti windfarm from a closer vantage point.

This weekend, I decided to attend the Indian Independence Day event being held in town. The flyer was passed on to me by my anthropology professor, and so having nothing else to do, I went.

Once again, I went into this event thinking it would be similar to events held in the states. I was picturing a festival of sorts. Of course I was dead wrong. Most of the Indian community and myself came together in this small school gymnasium. The crowd was large, the building small. Everyone I encountered was extremely nice and outgoing. We were all in our traditional dress. Me in my jeans and tshirt, and the women in colourful saris and the men in vests and curly toed shoes.

From an anthropological perspective it was enlightening. The young revere the old, giving up seats and making sure they are able to get through the crowds. People stand close together like packed sardines. The auditorium seats were packed and people took to sitting in the aisles.

Once I got my camera out, the surrounding crowd ushered me into the gym and instructed me to sit on the floor and take photos. {please note, without a tripod the photos are a bit dark and grainy, and all taken from the same vantage point, my apologies.}

The program was hosted by the Manawatu Bangalee Society and began with speeches from the local heads of government, then the children put on many songs and dances that they had been learning throughout the year. A slide show presentation was enjoyed accompanied by live singers. This particular presentation chronicled India's Independence History, highlighting the key battles and important revolutionary leaders. This year marks India's 63rd year of freedom. {I can honestly say I learned a bit during this segment}

The last hour or so each Indian state was represented with a traditional song and dance.







This little boy stole the show! He danced with such confidence and conviction!



These guys were the last to perform {I believe its called the Punjabi} and the crowd was getting a bit rowdy! The song was remixed with a few rap lyrics thrown in for good fun. Everyone was hollering and cheering and dancing in their seats! As you can see in the photo they began the dance with the attitude of a rapper and then busted out these wooden accordions. Honestly, they rocked it! .