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Archive for February, 2007

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Haere ra (goodbye)

Sunday, February 25th, 2007

Well my time has come to an end. I’ve had a great time here, and for the place named as the  Land of the Long White Cloud, the weather has been pretty good. Barring further breakdowns, I’m heading back to Auckland this afternoon, and then heading to the airport tonight. Tomorrow morning I’ve got a really early flight to Fiji, where I’ll be heading straight to Beachcomber Island for a few days for my birthday. Not sure what I’m doing for the remaining 9 days, but it’ll most likely involve not much on white beaches (though once again I am visiting in rainy season!)

Excuse me for now, I feel it’s time for one last ice cream on the beach as it’s so sunny…

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The North

Sunday, February 25th, 2007

From Waitomo I head to Auckland. Not having had any good reviews of this place by anyone who’s visited, I only spend one evening there where I catch up with some friends. Then day after head up to Paihia in the Bay of Islands. [read on]

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Spelunking Good

Wednesday, February 21st, 2007
Leaving the perilously thin earth's crust and the evil smells behind, it's time to visit some caves. Waitomo is famous for it's limestone karst environment, and there are hundreds of underground places to explore here. Not wishing for a repeat of ... [Continue reading this entry]

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Rotorua

Tuesday, February 20th, 2007
Next up, is Rotorua. This place is by another big lake, and people visit here as it's very volcanically active (another eggy town) and is the centre of Maori culture. I went out to see some big boiling mud pools, a ... [Continue reading this entry]

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Jumping out of a perfectly good plane over Taupo

Sunday, February 18th, 2007
There's another big lake here, and a touristy town in a picturesque location. But I came here to go skydiving. Luckily the weather is fantastic and very clear. Three of us get picked up in a stretch limo to be taken ... [Continue reading this entry]

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Tramping around Mordor

Saturday, February 17th, 2007
Sorry for the Lord of the Rings names, but believe me they are easier to remember than the real ones! Based in the imaginatively named National Park village, I spent three days doing the Tongariro Northern Circuit in New Zealands ... [Continue reading this entry]

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Finally made it to North Island…

Monday, February 12th, 2007
I'm a little behind my rough schedule this morning. I spent about 6 weeks on the South Island, and now have less than two to do the entire north. It's a grey overcast day as the Interislander ferry leaves Picton, ... [Continue reading this entry]

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A stroll by the sea: Queen Charlotte Track

Sunday, February 11th, 2007
I've done a fair bit of trekking this year, with a good number of overnight trips, but this must be the most civilised. In the Marlborough Sounds, a track crosses private land, winding in and out of picturesque bays and along ... [Continue reading this entry]

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Kayaking in Abel Tasman

Wednesday, February 7th, 2007

Nelson's a pretty town, with lots of open space, hanging baskets in the street and art galleries and cafes. It's also on the doorstep to Abel Tasman National Park, where I spent a couple of days kayaking around the bays ... [Continue reading this entry]

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A scenic train ride and some big pancakes on the way north

Sunday, February 4th, 2007
There's not much I want to see on the west coast. To break the journey and take a few days rest, and away from spending loads of money I head up to a place called Greymouth and then take the ... [Continue reading this entry]

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