Month Long Tour of NZ

Part 3:

I had to leave Rebekah in Auckland because she had to head back to Korea. But my vacation wasn't quite over yet. I went to the north of the north island for some beach time. First I stayed in Auckland for another day or so and went for a hike to an outlying island called Rangitoto made from a volcano. I met a Swedish girl and we did the day hike together.

From Auckland I found a great deal on buses north ($1) so I headed to Pihia. One day I went on a trip to the very tip of the north to Cape Reinga, then drove down 90 mile beach. At 90 mile beach there are huge sand dunes that you can board down. It was a lot of fun, but I could only do it twice as the hike up the dune was so intense.

I also went to Haruru falls one afternoon. I rode one of the bikes from the hostel up there, and it was yet another intense event. But worth it!

I made a little trip to the next town just north called Waitangi. Waitangi has a lot of historic importance in NZ because it's where the British signed a treaty with the Maori. I took a few hours and went to the Waitangi Treaty Grounds and looked at a lot of the Maori artifacts, which included the largest canoe in the world.

My last little adventure was a trip to see/swim with dolphins. It ended up being a little disappointing because we saw just one pod of dolphins and we couldn't swim with them because the water was too rough. Anyways, the boat ride was pretty nice.

I got back from Pihia on a Friday and all my flatmates had rented a house in Lake Taupo for the weekend, so I extended my vacation for a few more days! I didn't mind of course. Lake Taupo in NZ's largest lake and has really nice views. The house we stayed in was right on the lake. We took a walk around town and relaxed in the stellar house.

And here's a map of the last leg:


So, now I'm back and it's been about 2 weeks. I started looking and applying for jobs the first day I got back and so far it has been pretty difficult. However, today I had a pretty good interview at a restaurant, so hoping to hear back from them. I'm sure something will come up. Also, I found a soccer team to play with. I'm so excited! I went to my first training yesterday and everyone seemed really great and I can't wait to play. It's been years! So, I'm settling back into Hamilton nicely, back to "normal life", but I'll be really happy when I get a job. I'll let you know! Month long vacation was AMAZING!!!! I love NZ!