Culture, Thrills and Explosions

Waioapu Thermal Park

Amazing scenery and colors

Ditto

Friends Lisa and Tim and our crazy driver Mark who is a Irish Maori man who drove us to the show. On our way back to town he was singing songs and when we got to the roundabout he sped the bus round and round and round singing "Here we Go Round the Mulberry Bush" till we were exhausted from laughing.

Saw this and then went on the Giant Swing below....(sorry I can't sort these pictures in order! aarrgh!)

Maori woman in costume telling us stories of her culture.

Lady Knox Geyser.

Geothermal pools at Rotorua, leaves a sulphur smell all over the town called Rotorua.

Scary warrior at the Maori show, I was supposed to me sticking out my tongue but I forgot....

Adrenaline thrill time- Me on the Giant Swing outside of Taupo. Too fun! But I screamed alot and scared the next girl from trying it. Sorry Michelle!

Shearing the Angora Rabbits

Now I'm heading south on the north island. I am on the 'Magic Bus' tour and it's much more magical than the buses in Asia and not so scary either!

It's great as they stop along the way at points of interest like Mount Eden just outside of Auckland for an amazing view of Auckland and also the volcanic craters around the city. They have cattle in this viewing area to 'mow' the lawn. Apparently it's easier to keep cattle here as the sheep are easily stolen especially close to Easter time.
Next stop was to the Rabbit Shearing show, poor bunnies! But if left unshaved apparently they would die from heat exhaustion.

Then off to Waitomo Caves where inside are thousand of tiny glowworms that sparkle like stars. We sat in a boat in complete darkness and it was amazing just like looking up at the stars only way more lights.

That night I was off with my Magic Bus friends to a Maori show that taught us their culture and how they came to NZ. They showed us how they cooked our dinner underground, a traditional ceremony, tattooed faces, dances and songs. Very worthwhile, interesting and fun night!

On the way to Taupo we stopped off a Lady Knox Geyser that blows every day about 10:15am, they actually put a substance in it to help it along..... a tourist site for sure but it was free for us and very cool to watch. Then went through the Waiotapu Thermal Park and saw about 20 different craters.

Then it was time for some action at a place called Rock N Ropes. I chose to do the Giant Swing and with a harness climbed up a few hundred feet up a pole and jumped off sort of like Tarzan swinging on ropes thru the jungle only I didn't sound like him at all!