The Best of New Zealand: North Island

Thanks to Dave’s diligence, we did post updates for most of our trip to New Zealand, but we didn’t have the opportunity to post pictures. And, since New Zealand is SO beautiful, I really want to share “The Best Of…” photos with everyone! So here are the highlights of our short time in the North Island.

What were some of the best parts?  Undoubtedly, one of the highlights was meeting up with old and new friends: Les and Lauren Gorvett, friends from University days, and meeting their son, Justin (thank you for having us, picking us up from the airport, and driving us around!), and also catching up with our sailing buddies, Invictus, Excallibur and Moby.  Fata Morgana and Vida, we are so sorry that we didn’t get the chance to see you guys, but we hope to catch up somewhere, sometime!   We also saw mud pools, geothermal landscapes, stunning lakes, glow worms and caves, and sheep and cows and more sheep and cows!  Gaby got to milk a cow, Ben got to feed a goat, and we all got to feed Alpacas!  

CATCHING UP WITH FRIENDS IN AUCKLAND:

With Les at Takapuna, where Dave sailed a Laser World Championships in 1993!

Boat Kids reconnect:  Ben and Gabs with Juli and Marlena from Invictus,
making a train while the parents enjoy catching up!

With Tobi and Nicole from Invictus.
 It was so great seeing you guys again!  Sail safe and hope to see you sometime soon!!

Auckland skyline as seen from the ferry from Davenport

Dave and kids take a breather while exploring Auckland

Auckland skyline at night

 

SHEEP, GOATS, COWS AND ALPACAS IN ROTORUA

Alpacas and Llamas…. We learned the difference!
Llamas have longer legs and neck – can you spot the one in this picture?!

Gaby gets to feed an Alpaca

Who knew there were so many different types of sheep?  At the Agrodome in Rotorua

Gaby getting ready to milk the cow

Ben gets to feed a baby goat

MUD POOLS and GEOTHERMAL LANDSCAPES - WAITAPU

An explanation of the mud pools:  acid waters attack and dissolve the ground to digest many minerals in the rock, forming viscous mud pools.  The temperatures can get up to 100 degrees Centigrade!  The pools are fed by steam and gas from the earth's core.  Science learning at its best...

Bubbling Mud Pools

Another view of the mud pools.  You can see some mud bubbling up out of the ground in the middle of the picture

"Craters of the Moon":  Hot steam rises out of the earth wherever you look!

Ben feeling the heat

Gabs enjoying the day

LAKE TAUPO and HUKA FALLS

Beautiful Lake Taupo

Water from Lake Taupo flows into a narrow gap, and then down through the Huka Falls

About 200,000 liters of water plunge 9 meters over the rock face of the Huka Falls every second!

Family shot at Huka Falls

BEAUTIFUL LANDSCAPE on our drive from WAITOMO to TAURONGA

Stunning road side landscape

Windy roads along beautiful lakes

A special day with special friends:  we caught up with Nicholas and Anne-Marie of the good ship "Excallibur", and their kids Charles, Paul and Eleanor, in Tauronga

More detailed posts of our time on the North Island were posted by Dave while we were there.  If you missed them, just scroll down to "Older Posts" to find them.  After we left Excallibur in Tauronga, we drove back to Auckland to catch our flight to Christchurch, early on the morning of February 13th.  We had an amazing 10 days on the South Island, and the photos from that time will be the subject of my next post:  The Best of New Zealand:  South Island!