NZ Day 1: Rotorua

Most people think, "oh, you should definitely see NZ while you're on that side of the world - it's just a short flight down there, right?" Wrong. So very wrong. Yes, we're on this "side of the world," so it was great not having to adjust to the time change, but it's still a long haul down there... a good 12+ hour flight. So we departed Nagoya in the afternoon, changed planes in Hong Kong, then took the redeye flight down to Auckland, which arrived at noon the following day. We then hopped in our rental car and drove to Rotorua, where we spent the next couple of days.

Rotorua is in the Bay of Plenty area in the North Island of New Zealand. It's famous for its geothermal activity, especially it's geysers and bubbling hot mud pools. It's nicknamed the Sulfur City because it literally smells like rotten eggs all the time.

We began our trip in Roturua with a visit to the historical Pig and Whistle restaurant, where I can honestly tell you that I had the BEST seafood chowder ever. Thick, creamy, and loaded with a variety of seafood... served with a huge freshly baked baguette, it was seriously awesome!

The next morning we went to Waimangu Volcanic Valley. This park was great because it had a self-guided walking trail that you could explore at your own pace. It was beautiful!

This region is characterized by spectacular volcanic and geothermal features that are a result of its location lying on the Pacific "Ring of Fire." This Ring of Fire marks the boundary between the Pacific and the India/Australia tectonic plates. This park was truly magnificent, and had some of the bluest water we've ever seen. We were so fortunate to get such a beautiful day to explore it!

On our drive back to town we got to see this funny little guy...

There's some crazy statistic out there that New Zealand is home to 3 million people and 60 million sheep... that's 20 sheep for every person! I don't know how true that is, but I certainly believe it - there are sheep everywhere!

After a nice afternoon break, we ventured over to Te Puia to see the world famous Pohutu geyser. On average, it erupts once or twice each hour and can reach heights of 100 feet!

We must have gone at a really good time, because it didn't stop erupting the entire time we were there. It was a pretty spectacular (yet very smelly) site.