On-the-Road Tales

Got picked up by the shuttle and went to the Blackwater Rafting Company. Sounds like whitewater rafting except there are no rapids and no boats. This activity involved going underground and sidling through caves by crawling, jumping and floating in an inner tube in order to see a bunch of glowworms that like to hang out and glow in the dark.

We got set up in a wetsuit, booties, helmet and head lamp and we went out to the river. We got our inner tube and had to stand on a deck while the two guides informed us ‘we had to practice’. We had to jump backwards off the deck into the water with our tube so they could check ‘our form’. I thought it was a joke but no – they decided to tell us now, past the point of no return, that there were several waterfalls inside the cave where we had to jump out and off backwards in order to clear some rocks below. Fantastic. I did a successful practice run and got indoctrinated into the frigid waters but that was in the daylight, in the dark – underground – would be a different altogether.

We entered the ground opening and made our way through the underground tunnel system. At the point where backwards jumping was required – it was total blind faith. I did not want to hesitiate and get left behind by the only person who knew where we were going so I did not have time to think about it. The guides would tell us where to walk and demonstrate the dangers of not listening by jumping into holes deep enough to swallow them with a single wrong step. Yikes – we all followed their advice. Eventually we came to an open part of the cave where, recling on our tubes, you look up and see hundreds of glowworms – they looked star constellations. The guide – in his briefing informed us that glowworms is just an appealing name for maggot. These were actually maggots whose hind ends glowed to attract flies which would become ensnared in their trap and become dinner. But as the guides rightfully predicted “glowworm” tours was much more effective than “maggot tours” to the general public.

We learned that chocolate marshmallow fish float. The guides, again NZers with their wacky sense of humour – threw one at us for energy I presume before they made us turn our head lamps out and sift our way through the dark to the exit. Like I said – screw loose.

We checked out some waterfalls and landed in Taupo that evening to stay at Urban Retreat. The next we had planned to do an 8 hour trek across the Tongariro

On through to Waitomo. Decided to take advantage of the sunny afternoon and go for a hike. I ran into a friend form the bus a NYer standing steadfastily on the path. I knew he had set out quite a while before me so I asked him why he was there. Apparently, the cow in his path had looked rather menacing and the cityboy was unable to brave going past it. After I finished doubling over with laughter, I forged ahead to encounter the cow and we continued on the trek. NZs are not huge on signage. They will give you a general direction but you kind of lose your way with the lack of marked paths. We had to double back several times to retrace and pick up the scent. We climbed fences, jumped stiles, hopped rivers – all in a days work. We ended up in some lava tubes and cavern bridges. 3 hours later in the dark, under moonlight, we were finally arriving back at the lodge.

We stayed at the Waitomo YHA and had a barbq for the evening.

Motored along the coast and got to see some islands that through geological testing they have recently figured out were blasted from a volcano hundreds of miles south in the middle of the country. Apparently when Taupo erupted, in ... [Continue reading this entry]

I had only a vague idea of what I had gotten myself into when the big green Kiwi bus swung by to pick me up. NZ is made up of two islands with a good distance to cover on ... [Continue reading this entry]

I left Tahiti just after midnight on a Thursday and arrived in Auckland, NZ on Friday morning. I would have gone on thinking it was Thursday had I not overheard someone discussing the oddness of losing a day. ... [Continue reading this entry]

I decided to fly back to Tahiti to store my bags in the airport before my middle of the night Thursday 0140 departure. I figured the $36 ticket was a good deal since the aerial views alone would be ... [Continue reading this entry]

While Hauru Point was facing directly west, I was unable to get too many decent sunsets due to the fact it was lashing cats and dogs by late afternoon many days. Another benefit of Pacific life - tropical downpours. ... [Continue reading this entry]

Did lots of exploratory walks and swims around Hauru Point where the campground was. Took a jeep 4X4 tour of the island in the afternoon with 6 other tourists and met (surprise) a pilot and a lovely brasilian couple. ... [Continue reading this entry]

My hopes of fluffly, downey soft, freshly laundered clothes were dashed this morning after a trip to reception. No machines but there was a "laundromat" down the road and they would swing by and pick up your clothes - sounded ... [Continue reading this entry]

There is a Tahitian polynesian word something like 'faa', which describes the feeling one gets of general laziness and nonchalantness in the warm humid island environment. Well, it did not take long to kick in. Tahiti was not ... [Continue reading this entry]