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The North Island has been quite different from the South. Our time in Wellington was a wet one. We had planned to go to the Zoo, but nobody wants to be outside in the rain at the Zoo, especially the animals. So instead we headed for the Te Papa museum. As an added bonus this was free, a backpackers favourite word.
From Wellington we arrived in Napier, but along the way made a very important stop at the Tui Brewery. Three pints for $2 (not each, total) is very hard to pass, really it would be wrong not to take advantage of it. Napier is a great little city on the coast and surrounded by wineries. We also took advantage of these things by walking along the boardwalk, playing mini golf and doing a wine tasting tour. Our tour took us to 4 different wineries and gave us a chance to taste their stock. A very educational day.
Next we went to one of the most geothermal areas in the country, Rotorua. The earth's crust is thinner here and as a result you see some pretty cool things. Steam just rises from the ground, mud boils and the whole place smells like sulphur. When here we visited Wai-O-Tapu thermal park and saw some unique activity.
After a short stay we went to Tauranga, were at the supermarket I was asked for ID a week after turning 28. Apparently I still look under 25. Other than that great experience we went to nearby Mt Maunganui or "the Mount". It's an extinct volcano that you can hike up for some great views of nearby bays, islands and beaches. After the hike we relaxed on the beach and overall had a chilled out day.
Our last stop here in New Zealand is Auckland. We were lucky enough to meet up with Rose (Del's mum) as she is also here on holiday. We had a great night out and went up the Skytower for some panoramic views of the city and a fantastic sight of a blue moon. On our last day here we woke up early and headed out to the aquarium and saw all sorts of antarctic animals including king and gentroo penguins. That night we went to a comedy club, and great way to spend our last day.
It is with some sadness that we leave New Zealand. If we didn't have other commitments we would stay and live here for a year. It really is our type of country. But now we are off to Fiji and the beach....
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