Our next destination after Rotorua was Waitomo. We had perfect weather and took the scenic route, which was the shortest, but also the most complicated route to take. Small and windy roads led us the way, and presented us with a wide array of photographic opportunities.

We made a stop in Otorohanga to visit the famous Kiwihouse. Unfortunately, this was the only time in New Zealand when I saw live Kiwis. What surprised me most, was how big Kiwis are. I’ve always thought they were less than half their actual size, which is depending on the specific type somewhere between 25 and 45cm. Fun fact: Kiwis lay the largest egg in relation to their body size and incubation is mainly done by male Kiwis.

After this short break we headed for our final destination of the day, the Big Bird Bed & Breakfast in Waitomo. This place was in retrospect one if not the highlight of the New Zealand experience. The B&B is operated by Ann, who is a lovely lady. She gave us a warm welcome and showed us the main attraction: the miniature pet zoo. They have mini alpacas, mini lamas, kune kune pigs, ostriches, emus, donkeys and highland cows. Look at the photos, it was awesome. Afterwards we went along the hills in the early evening sun, which is a treat for every photographer.

Waitomo is best known for its caves. So we took the opportunity and got on a tour through one of the caves. The main attraction was the glowworms, more specifically the fungus gnat Arachnocampa luminosa. They look like little LEDs mounted on the ceiling of the cave. The larva glows to attract prey into its threads, perhaps luring them into believing they are outdoors, for the roof of a cave covered with larva can look remarkably like a starry sky at night.

After the cave tour we drove home, opened a bottle of Sauvignon Blanc and closed a highly eventful day.

Top moments:

• Stopping in the middle of the road whenever it was nice to take pictures
• Finally seeing tow real Kiwis and realizing that they are indeed quite cute
• Standing in the evening sun on top of a hill with the perfect round view across the area

After having spent the first few days in Coromandel, we moved on to go to Rotorua, the inofficial capital of Maori tourism. The way we tackled Rotorua is very well captured by having a look at the Wikipedia entry:

Rotorua is a major destination for both domestic and international tourists; the tourism industry is by far the largest industry in the district. The city is known for its geothermal activity, and features geysers – notably the Pohutu Geyser at Whakarewarewa – and hot mud pools.

We first met with Anna, Claire and Anna’s brother Michael, who were in the area by chance. We strolled around the city and pretty soon realized that with the geysers comes the smell of hydrogen sulphide emissions, which is very similar to rotten eggs. Highlights were the Rotorua Museum of Art and History, the local fun fair and the hot pools, that we indulged in later.

The next morning we got to one of the Maori sites, Whakarewarewa, had a tour around the premises and ate our Hangi. I got my picture with Maoris. My biggest revelation was that one of the integral part of this tribe’s culture was guiding, i.e. showing tourists the local sights. They’ve been doing this since as early as 1869, which pretty much impressed me.

Top moments:

• Having breakfast and watching the sun rise on the deck in Tairua — the only day in Tairua with good weather
• Going to the Polynesian Hot Pool Spa and spent a little more to get into the less crowded deluxe area
• Meeting Anna and Claire for Lunch and strolling around the fun fair

Spent our first few Kiwiland days in Tairua, which is a small town in the Coromandel area. The idea was to relax, enjoy the sun and spend our days switching between beach and batch. Unfortunately, the weather gods decided differently and so one of the most heard sentences was: “This is the worst summer we’ve had in years” Highlight was Coro Gold, a music festival with local Kiwi top acts. When we bought the tickets back in August, our biggest concern was not having enough sunscreen — and if you look at the pictures on their website that concern was justified. However, it did not go to plan: it poured, and our biggest concern was not slipping in the mud. Quote of the day from Anna: “Bad decisions, good stories.” She was right.

Nevertheless, we had a few sunshine moments, walks on the beach, and lots of time to play board games (I’m still not a Scrabble fan, especially not Speed Scrabble).

Top moments in Tairua:

• Standing in the kitchen after coming back from Coro Gold in the middle of the night, having had a shower, eating toasted banana bread with butter and drinking Whiskey – Other Coro Gold related top moment: Getting back into the car, soaking wet and using a towel
• Taking jump photos on the beach with three different cameras, i.e. having so many shots of one instance that it might have been possible to produce Matrix bullet time sequences
• Meeting people that I have met before (Anna, Claire, Megan and Dave) and meeting people that I have not met before, but that felt like having known them for a long, long time (Philly)
• Trip to Cathedral Cove including sunshine, kayaking and the giant swing