New Zealand is Awesome!

Laura · Joined: 16 May 2004 Posts: 446 Location: San Francisco

Hi everyone, I just got back from three weeks in New Zealand. We spent most of the time on the North Island but did get down to Nelson on the South Island for the weekend.

It was a wonderful trip -- we rented a car and drove around, and stayed in B&B "Homestays." New Zealand has this great system for tourists, in many towns there is something called an "I-Site." The I-Site is basically a local tourist service, they have info and can make bookings for all local attractions, plus get you set up with B&B's or hotels anywhere in the country, help you with ferry reservations, trip planning, etc. etc. Their services are free, except if they have to make a toll-call for you.

Some highlights...

Hot Water Beach, on the Coromandel Peninsula -- this is a beach with a hot spring located in the sand below the high tide mark. People go out at low tide and dig a system of shallow hot tubs in the sand where the spring bubbles up. It's a lot of fun -- and combines the engineering of sand castle building with the warmth of hot tubbing. It was winter there but it was plenty warm where the spring water was!

Various Geysers and Pools of Boiling Mud, Rotarua -- I'ver never been to Yellowstone so I've never seen big geysers spewing plumes of water and steam. AWESOME. And the boiling pits of mud. And the boling hot springs.

Wine Tasting in Hawkes Bay -- Napa-quality, Paso Robles prices, and SUPER laid-back. It's perfect. Had some amazing meals, too. We ended up bringing back seven bottles of wine on the plane.

Auckland -- I love it, it's pretty and clean and it's easy to walk around in. I love any city where ferries are used for everyday public transportation :-)

Able Tasman National Park -- at the north end of the South Island. Nice walking trails that cut through woods to gold sand beaches, or snake through salt marshes on boardwalks, or climb up good-sized hills to reveal amazing views of off-shore islands. We didn't have a lot of time, just went on a short two-hour walk, but my favorite photo of all the ones I took came from Coquille Bay there:

Sheep -- everywhere, and cute as anything. It was late winter/early spring there, so there were baby lambs playing in every field. And they tasted great, too (I have no qualms about watching a cute baby lamb play and then eating its cousin the same night for dinner.) Nice wooly sweaters and gloves, too!

People -- nice & friendly!

Wine -- awesome!

Food -- fabulous!

I'm looking forward to going back again, probably in about a year and a half.

Jonathan · Joined: 05 Apr 2004 Posts: 185

Welcome back Laura! Glad to hear you had such a great time & thnaks for the highlights. Fantastic photo by the way!!! :D

squirrel · Joined: 11 Jun 2004 Posts: 74 Location: Bucharest, Romania

:) Fantastic pic, Laura... thanks!

David · Joined: 04 Apr 2004 Posts: 162

Very nice indeed!
I have always wanted to go to New Zealand. I hope one day I can.

on_way_to_fame · Joined: 28 Feb 2005 Posts: 15

i havent been lucky enough to go to new zealand so far, but i have heard its a great combination of natural beauty and modern lifestyle. Natural beaty of couse attracts all the tourism i guess. Now a days, a lot of movies are being shooted in new zealand, specially in the mountanious ranges...and the view is amazing.

awesome picture Laura....

Laura · Joined: 16 May 2004 Posts: 446 Location: San Francisco

I've got a bunch more pictures on my personal photo gallery web site.

http://www.lagassa.com/bin/liveframe.cgi

Jonathan · Joined: 05 Apr 2004 Posts: 185

Thanks for sharing Laura! :D