I’d like to preface this entry with the disclaimer that I am exhausted and a bit green about the gills, so if the writing that follows is particularly atrocious I’ll have to chalk it up to that. Bad days follow good nights, as the saying goes, and I think my body is trying to put the kibosh on anymore shenanigans in the near term. It’s just as well that I’ve decided to take a quick interlude from my mad dash around the country and spend a few nights here in Taupo, home to New Zealand’s largest lake (approximately the size of Singapore).

When I last wrote I was returning to Auckland after my working holiday in the Bay of Islands. The City of Sails was a lot more fun the second time around, in part because on this visit I stayed in a centrally located hostel just off of Queen Street, a few minutes’ walk from the harbor. I did most of the regular touristy stuff: visited the Sky Tower, walked along the Viaduct, window-shopping etc. Then on Wednesday I boarded the Stray Bus, a hop on hop off transportation service for backpackers, and left Auckland for the Coromandel Peninsula.

The Coromandel is beautiful; equal parts lush native forests and white sandy beaches. It is apparently known as New Zealand’s version of Thailand, and is also infamous for it’s burgeoning cannabis industry (the dense vegetation makes crops difficult to spot from the air). Our group stayed in the tiny, tiny little town of Hahei, which was mostly deserted on account of it being the off season. Hahei was quite pleasant and most of us did a few hour hike to the gorgeous Cathedral Cove, which I’ve catalogued in some of the photos down below. Outside of the shoreline however there wasn’t much to explore in Hahei, and our group was happy to leave the next morning for Raglan.

Raglan is known as the surf capital of New Zealand, and features the world’s longest left hand break (whatever that is). Just like in Hahei the Stray bus took us to a remote hostel that felt a lot like summer camp, and also just like in Hahei there wasn’t much to do besides go for a walk along the beach. Not that I’m complaining mind you; the weather was amazing and watching the sun set over the ocean was one of the highlights of my travels so far. Still it’s fairly exciting to return to modern trappings, and today I’ve been bingeing on the internet like a true neckbeard (google it).

The next day we drove to Waitomo, home to an extensive cave network. Here most of the group and I went on a spelunking tour, replete with abseiling, rock climbing, and a whole lot of crawling. The tour lasted three hours, took us about 75 meters underground, and was utterly exhausting. Any claustrophobia I may have harbored is long gone, thanks to some of the tiny crawlspaces I made it through. Also the caves are pretty well known for their glow worms (Arachnocampa Luminosa) and we saw a few along the way.

That night we stayed in a Maori mourea, which is a large meeting house that looks a bit like an oversized log cabin, but filled with intricate wooden carvings and pictures of the tribe’s deceased members. The evening was part of Stray’s cultural immersion program, and despite my initial skepticism (these things usually feel a bit forced) I really enjoyed the experience. Our group learned (and performed) the Haka, ate a fantastic Maori meal, and listened to some pretty fascinating stories. The family who runs the mourea couldn’t have been more welcoming and after spending ten minutes with them it felt as if we’d known them our whole lives. It was sad to leave, but everyone was also a bit relieved to not have to share one giant room anymore.

The next morning featured a day stop in Rotorua, the most active geothermal city in the world. The whole place reeks of sulfur, but was great for a quick visit. Again, photos below. Sadly about a third of our group chose to stay in Rotorua, as it is the closest place from which to visit Hobbiton. And then today I decided to get off here in Taupo, and had to say goodbye to the rest of my bus, at least temporarily. Lots of us get off along the way, so with any luck I’ll be encountering the scattered remains of our cohort around the South Island.

While I’m on the topic, I’ve got to say that this has been one of the things I’ve found hardest about traveling: the constant making and losing of friends. I’m no longer worried that I’ll be left completely friendless, as I’ve now been on the road long enough to know that new buddies often lie just around the corner. But the individual relationships that form in a matter of days are still painful to part with. These are guys and gals who, though we’d only spent a few days and nights together, felt like long lost cousins I was glad to have found. Then there is the family I stayed with in Paihia, my fellow workers at the Saltwater Lodge, and even hostel roommates who I only knew for a couple of hours. It’s always a bit heavy to say goodbye forever, and even with the requisite facebook contact you know you’re likely to never see them in person again. Anyway I guess it’s a price to be paid for being untethered, and hopefully I’ll see most of my comrades somewhere down the line.

So as not to end on too sad of a note, I’ll throw in some fun facts I’ve gathered along the way. The common Kiwi slang I’ve picked up include mate (obviously), sweet-as (as in, “sweet as pie”, and chilly bin (a cooler). I’m also using a lot of Britishisms such as heaps, rubbish, and cheeky. Apparently one in four people in Hamilton, NZ have chlamydia, and there is an area of teh downtown known as the Chlamydia Triangle. My lifelist is now up to a whopping (not really) 210. My time on the Waitaingi River taught me about a few dozen species, and now I’m something of a North Island shorebird expert. Don’t act like you’re not impressed…

As always I’d like to give my best to everyone at home and I hope you’re all enjoying the Giants’ nice start. I listened to some KNBR this morning (via my ipad) and I’m prouder than ever to wear my SF cap everywhere I go. My wifi situation isn’t entirely reliable as a lot of Stray stops are pseudo camp sites, so pease forgive me if I’m unable to reply to your emails for a few days. Our next stop is Tongariro National Park.

Best,

James