Glaedelig jul!

Saa har jeg vaeret paa NZ i en uge. Efter en overnatning i Wellington tog jeg bussen til Auckland den 19.dec. Tog ca. 10timer. Bookede mig ind paa Surf 'n' Snow Backpackers, som var taet paa The Sky Tower. Sov paa vaerelse med de fleste af de ansatte, hvilket var lidt underligt, men da dejligt stille, da de skulle arbi naeste dag. Den foerste aften var hele opgangen stoevet til, da der var set roeg paa et af vaerelserne og en eller anden havde hevet roegslukkeren frem.
Den 20. om morgenen gik jeg til receptionen og fik booket nogle ture. Har allerede Kiwi Experience bus pas, som jeg er paa, men har booket lidt mere. Bruce og Chris havde anbefalet mig at tage nordpaa til Bay of Islands, saa det gjorde jeg den 21.-22. Jeg tog en bus til Paihia den 21. Hostellet havde cykler man ku laane, saa cyklede rundt og saa det flotte landskab. Den 22. tog jeg paa baadtur rundt om de mange oer Bay of Islands bestaar af - der er 144 oer. Det var super flot og vi saa delfiner efter 20minutter, saa det var kanon. Derudover fik vi en guided Maori tur paa den stoerste af oerne, hvilket ogsaa var cool. Tog med bussen tilbage til Auckland om eftermiddagen.
Den 23. om morgenen skulle jeg saa paabegynde min rejse med Kiwi Experience. Skulle fra Auckland til Mercury Bay. Ventede laenge paa bussen, men den kom aldrig. Saa fik jeg et hostel i naerheden til at ringe Kiwi op. Jeg var saa aabenbart blevet booket til den 22. ved en fejl fra Surf 'n' Snow, da de bestilte min tur. Ingen busser til Mercury Bay foer d.25.dec. Men jeg ku komme med en buschauffoer, der koerte en bus til Rotorua, som alligevel var min destination for den 24.dec. Auckland var fin nok, men lidt kedelig, saa ville bare af sted. Saa blev hentet kl.10 og saa var det bare mig og Scotty, som buschauffoeren hed, i 4timer. Meget hyggeligt og fik en masse info, saa tiden gik hurtigt.
Kom til Rotorua kl.14.30. Her er hoej aktivitet af gejsere grundet vulkaner og alt mulig underjordisk aktivitet, saa ligesom Yellowstone, stinker her grundet sulfor niveauet. Bortset fra det er det et fint sted og her er masser at lave.
Startede ud med en tur til Tamaki landsbyen, som er en Maori landsby (Maori, de indfoedte New Zealaendere). De havde et virkelig godt show og man fik god indsigt i deres kultur, respekten for hinanden og alt andet levende. Og saa fik vi Hangi-buffet. Hangi er deres maade at tilberede mad paa i . Varmen kommer fra glohede lavasten. Det var super godt.
Den 24.dec., juleaften, fejrede jeg med river rafting ned af en 'grade 5' flod og dernaest river sledging ned af en 'grade 3'. Det var super fedt! Saa cool. Sledging var haardt og er da lidt oem i dag, men det var saa nice. Og ved river rafting roeg vi ned af 3vandfald, hvor det laengste var paa 7meter og hele baaden med besaetning roeg under vand. Det var saa fedt! Om aftenen chillede jeg. Hofretten stod paa spaghetti-a-la-Maria med tomatsovs (viste sig saa at vaere sur/soed sovs, hvilket bedst egner sig til ris). ENdnu en kulinarisk oplevelse. Om aftenen smuttede jeg paa the Lava Bar, som er tilknyttet mit hostel, Hot Rocks. Moedte op med nogle fra Maorituren, saa det var nice.
I dag er alt lukket, da NZ holder jul den 25. Saa chiller bare i dag. Smutter ud til poolen og slikker lidt sol om lidt. I morgen smutter jeg oestpaa i 3dage, da jeg vil til Gisbourne og se 'den foerste solopgang verden faar at se'.

ENGLISH

Been in NZ for a week now. After a nights stay in Wellington I took the bus to Auckland on the 19th. 10 hours drive. Booked in at Surf 'n' Snow Backpackers, which was really close to the Sky Tower. Was in the same room as most of the staff, which was a bit weird but OK as they were quiet because they were working the next day. The first night the whole dorm was filled with dust as one of the rooms had shown signs of smoke and then somebody took the fire extinguisher. Everything was OK though.
On the 20th I went to the reception and booket some stuff. Bruce and Chris had told me to go see Bay of Islands, so I booked a trip to Paihia on the 21st-22nd. It was beautiful up there and I borrowed a bike from the hostel I was in and biked the area. On the 22nd I went on a cruise aruond the Bay of Islands, which consists of 144 islands. After 20minutes we saw dolphins. Really cool. Besides that we also got a guided Maori tour on the largest of the islands. Went back to Auckland in the afternoon.
On the 23rd in the morning I was to begin my travel with Kiwi Experience bus pass. I was waiting for the bus, but it never came. Went to a hostel near by and had them call up Kiwi. Turned out Surf 'n' Snow had made my booking for the 22nd! I was going to Mercury Bay on the 23rd, but now, no busses were going until Friday the 25th. I could go to Rotorua an hour later as they had a driver that was getting a bus down there. Rotorua would have been my destination for the 24th anyway, so I decided to go along. Just me and the driver for 4hours. Fun and informative. Got to Rotorua at 2.30pm. Lots of geothermal activity here and like in Yellowstone, it stinks because of the sulphor. Except from that there's plenty to do here.
Started by taking a trip to the Tamaki Maori village (Maori is the natives of NZ). De put on a really good show and we got a good insight to their culture. And then we were served a Hangi buffet. Hangi is the 'ground owen'. Made up of vulcanic rocks and cloth and dirt, they cook their food in the Hangi. It was really good!
The 24th, Christmas eve, I celebrated by doing river rafting on a grade 5 river and then river sledging n a grade 3. It was awesome! Physically tough but so cool. During the rafting we hit 3falls, where the highest was 7meters. The raft and the crew was all immersed in water. So cool! In the evening I chilled out with spaghetti and tomatosauce (which turned out to be sweet and sour sauce instead, which is best for rice) - another kulinaric experience... Aftere dinner I went to the Lava bar and met up with some friends from the Maori trip.
TOday, the 25th is Christmas down here. Everything is closed, so just chilling. Will go lie at the pool in a few moments.
Tomorrow I head east for 3days to go to Gisbourne and see the first sunrise in the world.
Merry Christmas