For our University’s semester break a group of friends and I decided to rent camper vans and drive through the entirety of New Zealand. The six of us flew into Auckland on the North Island where our journey began. We rented two campers from Lucky Rentals. The vans had two seats up front, a pull out full size bed where the back seat should be, another bed nested up top, as well as mini kitchen with a propane stove, mini fridge and sink built into the back. We shoved our bags in the small storage space beneath the first level bed and headed to our first camping spot. New Zealand is an amazing country as it provides free camping spots for self-contained vehicles like ours at many spots along the main highways. Most of the spots overlook a river or lake and provide perfect clear skies for star-gazing. As we were without WIFI and on the road for ten days, I wrote down our daily activities in a journal. Here is part 1 of our New Zealand Trip.
Day 1: Auckland
A short 45-minute drive from the Auckland airport brought us to our first camping spot. It was a small dirt lot just off the highway nestled in the rocky shores of the harbor of Auckland. That night we were rewarded with a picturesque night sky. As we sat there on the rocky shores, waves lazily rolling in the light breeze, the dark canvas of the sky above was lit up with millions of stars. This was the best night sky I have ever seen, we were able to see multiple shooting stars and the faint outline of the milky way. I was extremely excited to explore this country for the next ten days.
Day 2: Hot Water Beaches and Polynesian Spa in Rotorua
We woke up to the warm rays of the sun illuminating the interior of our can. After a quick breakfast of scrambled eggs and instant-coffee we were on the road. Our first stop of the day was the Hot Water Beaches. This beach is in Mercury Bay, about 175 kilometers from Auckland. The parking lot is short walk to the beach where a warning sign explains the “hot water” phenomenon. Natural hot thermal springs occurring beneath the surface of the sand allow water to escape to the surface between low and high tides. You can reach this water by digging just a few feet below the surface. Excited to experiment with this natural hot tub we ventured onto the beach toward a small crowd of people surrounded by a cloud of steam. Several people had used shovels to dig holes in the sand, creating a pool of hot water. Eager to join in we started digging a hole of our own with our hands before realizing that this method would soon burn our hands. I later found out that this water can reach temperatures of 147 degrees Fahrenheit! To cool down our pool we took shifts running our bucket back and forth to the ocean, trying to balance the hot water rising from the sand. Once large enough and at an agreeable temperature, the six of us relaxed in our hot tub and enjoyed the beautiful day. After the Hot Water Beach and a quick lunch, we packed back into our campervans and drove to Rotorua to experience the Polynesian Spa. This is rated as one of the top 10 spas in the world and provides geothermal bathing powered by waters from two natural springs. The mineral baths felt great on our skin and offered a stunning sunset view of Lake Rotorua. This was a very relaxing day ad a great way to start our trip. That night we drove an hour outside of Rotorua to a camping spot settled alongside a river. It was extremely cold we had to layer up to keep warm.
Day 3: Glow Worm Caves
The next morning we woke up at 6:45 with the morning sun just beginning to dry up the cold dew that covered the grass outside of the van. We drove about 30 minutes to the Legendary Black Water Rafting Company, where we would experience a black water rafting cave adventure. Once checked in our two guides fitted us with heavy duty wetsuits, helmets, head lamps, and boots. After doing a short icebreaker with our small group, we hopped in a van and drove to the entrance of the cave. There the instructors showed us how to put on a harness and we practiced repelling down a small hill just outside the entrance of the cave. We all made sure to pay attention as we were about to repel down 60 meters into the cave. My friends volunteered me as the first to go, and I cautiously walked down the grated platform to the instructor positioned a dark abyss that seemed to go down forever. Once hooked up to an industrial sized rope, I began my descent down into the depths. The farther I descended, the darker and narrower the hole got – that is until I wriggled through a small opening and was greeted by the expanse of the large cave. Once everyone made it down into the depths of the cave, we were led through a small tunnel to the a zipline that brought us down to a platform closer to the river that flowed below. One by one we clipped into the zipline and sped through the darkness, shimmering glow worms illuminating the tunnel in a gloomy light. After a quick snack and some tea, we were given inner tubes and told to jump into the river below. The freezing cold water sent a shock through my whole body. We then drifted lazily through the river in complete black, gazing up at the glow worms that dotted the cave walls like stars in the sky. Soon the river became shallow and we ditched our tubes to continue the rest of the way on foot. We waded through the frigid cold water for several minutes, climbing through holes where the tunnel narrowed. Eventually we came to a large waterfall gushing through a hole above. One by one our guide showed us how to scale the rock face and climb through the waterfall to a spacious room just above our heads. From here we could see the sun beginning to penetrate the depths of the cave. After scaling another waterfall and maneuvering through several small openings in the rock we finally reached the surface. This was an amazing experience that left me speechless. I never thought I could repel down into a cave, let only hike through a freezing cold underground river and through two waterfalls. I highly recommend the Legendary Black Water Rafting Co adventures to anyone brave enough. You can find more information on their website here: http://www.waitomo.com/black-water-rafting/Pages/default.aspx
Day 4: Hobbiton
As an avid fan of the Lord of the Rings trilogy I was extremely excited to take a tour of Hobbiton, the brainchild of Peter Jackson based on the vivid imagination of J.R.R. Tolkien. The drive to Hobbiton offers rolling hills and lush pastures, invigorating the images of the Shire. The Hobbiton tour offers visitor an awesome way to experience the magic and detail of the movie set. It was awesome to see the hobbit holes, the detailed scenery, and get a drink at the Green Dragon tavern. Hobbiton is worth the stop of you are a fan of the Lord of the Rings or if you just want to experience of the beautiful landscape of New Zealand.
