Tuesday 14 April, 8:40pm local time. Just arrived in Taupo. It's happy hour at the Internet cafe ($2.50 NZD/hr instead of $10), which makes us both very happy!

Hello hello!

First off, thanks to everyone who read our first blog (after all, it's for ya!), and secondly, for all your lovely messages! Well, the short of it is that a lot has happened since we last updated you, so here are the highlights of the past week:

Auckland, April 9-10

On our last day in Auckland we ended up taking that day trip to Rangitoto (the survivor-esque island 35 min off the coast), and we're pleased to say: WE SURVIVED! We toured around in the safety of a train for most of the trip, then were let loose to climb all 20 mins that remained to the summit. The views were lovely, and we have the pics to prove it ;-) That afternoon we made our way up to the SkyTower, and as I mentioned before, it looks ridiculously similar to the Canadian equivalent (CN Tower). It even has a revolving restaurant and glass floor. The best part was watching crazy folks bungee jump from the top while having our lunch! The piercing screams were highly amusing, and we ended up filming some of the petrified jumpers' faces. Finally, we tried our luck at Black Jack in the SkyCity casino, and lost. Enough said ;-) Important part is that we had a blast!

In sum, Auckland was a nice city (pretty harbour front), but nothing to write home about (although we are!).

Whangamata / Waihi / Coromandel Peninsula / Mount Maunganui, April 11-13

Bright and early on the 11th we picked up our sexy, oh-so-glamorous camper van from an eccentric German man who gave us the instructions in Germanglish! I'm pleased to report that nothing too horrific has happened yet (although we did drive away with the camper van still plugged into the electrical socket-thingy once so far!). It's also worth mentioning that Daniel is driving on the left hand side for the very first time ever, and truth be told, he's a natural!

Our first stop with our new vehicle was in Whangamata, and apart from a nice beach, it was very unspectacular. We made an executive decision to continue driving south towards Waihi Beach, and it turns out we made the right choice (phewf). The first night there we met a lovely family - Lorena, Lorenzo, and Julietta - from Argentina (who now live in New Zealand) who were kind enough to help us plan the rest of our trip in New Zealand. Because of them, over the next two days we saw some of the most beautiful sites yet (Cathedral Cove, and Hot Water Beach located in the Coromandel Peninsula, and Orokawa Bay right by Waihi Beach), and ate the best pizza EVER (at Mount Pizza by Mount Maunganui)! Thank you both for your patience, guidance, and kindness (un fuerte abrazo!). Instead of describing each of these places to you, we've posted some puuurty pictures for your viewing pleasure!

Rotorua, April 14

The first adventure of the day was at "Wai-o-Tapu Thermal Wonderland". Set in the Taupo Volcanic Zone, this thermal area is the largest of any hydrothermal system. We saw colourful craters, cold and boiling pools of mud, water and steaming fumaroles. The only downside was the overwhelming smell of hydrogen sulphide, which can only be described as the smell of very, very rotten eggs... we almost passed out from holding our breath so long, lol! From there, we headed to "Te Puia", which gave us a taste of New Zealand's rich Maori culture/history. The guide and the ice cream were the best part! The traditional Maori welcoming ceremony was also really cool... as a sign of friendship/welcoming, Maori's make initial contact by touching noses.

Finally, it's worth mentioning that the drive between places has been unbelievable... there isn't one landscape that doesn't take your breath away. We can't get over how fluffy the clouds are here... just want to squish 'em! Although we are trying our best to capture the essence of what we are seeing/experiencing, the pictures, unfortunately, do New Zealand no justice!!!

Much love from kiwi land,

Jennifer & Daniel xo