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Well after returning to the North Island we spent a couple of days in Wellington, checking out the Parliament building and Te Papa museum.
After Wellington we headed back to good old Palmerston North for the weekend before hitting the road again on Monday 31st March 2008 and heading to Rotorua.
For those who don't know Rotorua is a centre for geothermal activity, which means that the whole place smells like egg sandwiches and there are hot pools and steam around every corner. We did the touristy thing and visited some of the main areas of volcanic activity including a spouting geyser!
After Rotorua it was time for me to try jumping off of something a bit higher and so I went for a plane!!! I jumped out of a plane at 12,000ft over Lake Taupo and it was amazing. I didn't think that it was as scary as jumping off of a bridge and once your in the plane you don't realy have much of a choice anyway! I think that Tony was more scared than I was and he looked relieved when I landed on the ground quite ungracefully on my butt!
After Taupo we drove to the Tongariro National Park where we got up extra early to complete the Tongariro crossing. It is a one day hike of 19 Km (about 11 miles) through the National Park, including climbing up in between two of the volcanos. Although it was really tiring and some parts were hard work it was well worth the effort as the views from the top were amazing. We walked through a crater, along a steaming crater rim and passed a crater lake, as well as the views all around and of the adjoining volcano's.
As if the walk wasn't enough excercise for one week we also went on a cycling tour in Napier with my cousins which took in several winery's. I would like to say that there was more cycling than wine drinking but that would be a lie!!!
Overall we have had a great time in New Zealand and can't believe that three months is up so soon. Tomorrow we are heading to Christchurch where we will get our flight to Oz.
Thank you Dan, Penny, Sam and Fraser for all the help and fun that we have had whilst we have been here. :-) See you soon.
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