New Zealand - The North Island

After six sweltering days in Cairns, we found refuge from the heat and humidity in New Zealand. After an absurdly short "overnight" flight, we arrived in Auckland at 4:40 a.m., where we promptly took a nap. Refreshed, we set out to explore Auckland, which is the largest city in New Zealand. Kiwis from other parts of New Zealand seem to have a universal disdain for Auckland (perhaps because it's "the big city"), but I thought it was quite charming. Picturesque and set on a beautiful harbor, there is a buzz about the place while still being laid back. They also had divine seafood, including the largest mussels I've ever seen in my life.

Our next stop after Auckland was the geothermal town of Rotorua, where we spent two nights. The ever-present faint smell of sulphur aside, Rotorua was much nicer and more fun than I ever would have expected (I admit that I really had no expections for this town at all). There were so many things to do in Rotorua that we could have spent a week there and not accomplished them all. Our short stay including everything from a Maori cultural dinner to a sheep shearing demonstration, all within a span of 24 hours.

One thing that became immediately clear upon arriving in New Zealand is that there is no shortage of adrenalin-inducing activities - they will seize every feasible opportunity to throw you in the air or down a hill and see to it that you enjoy it. In retrospect, this is not surprising from the country that invented bungy jumping. Our activity of choice, and one of my favorite parts of the trip so far, was OGOing (also known as Zorbing, but there appears to be some bad blood between the OGOing and Zorbing folks, hence the new name). Essentially, OGOing or Zorbing consists of climbing into a giant plastic ball filled with water and rolling down a hill.  And it is great fun.

We also tried out the Fishpipe, which is the same plastic ball on a stationary machine being spun around even faster so that it feels like a perpetual water slide.

I had been looking forward to Zorbing for weeks leading up to this trip, and it was everything I hoped it would be.

After Rotorua we made the long trek down to Wellington, the capital of New Zealand. The scenery along the way was fantastic. Every day we pass something that served as some setting for the Lord of the Rings movies. Most of the references are lost on me, but it sure is pretty. For any LOTR geeks out there, here are some pictures of The Shire and Mt. Doom (or so I'm told).

New Zealand is not like any place I've ever been, and it took me a few days to figure out a way to describe it. In the end, I have decided that it most resembles an unusual mash up of Iceland and Hawaii, with about a million sheep thrown in. It is rugged and geothermal, with glaciers and volcanoes, while at the same time being tropical with a strong Polynesian vibe. The Maori presence can be felt everywhere. Driving down the highways gives a good sense of the competing aspects of New Zealand. About 75% of the place names are Maori (like Whakarewarewa or Ruapehu or Paekakariki), with the other 25% being very Anglo names that pop up in between (like Hastings or Wellington). But as odd as the combination sounds, it works. It is a beautiful country with very friendly people.

Yesterday we left the North Island and headed to the South Island, which supposedly has even more spectacular scenery than we've seen thus far. If the train ride to Christchurch is any indication, I believe it.  It is difficult to contemplate that within the same week that I was sweltering at the Great Barrier Reef, I will be climbing a glacier. I really have no concept of what day it is a this point.

One thing that New Zealand does not have, however, is an Apple Store. This is somewhat unfortunate, since my iPhone up and died on Green Island, for no apparent reason. I'm trying to view this annoying turn of events as a sign that I'm meant to really disconnect while I'm here.

And maybe it's working - I have to confess that I can't remember the last time I felt this relaxed and unstressed...