Mercury Bay to Waitomo

After returning to Auckland, I set off on the Kiwi bus to get round the North Island. The bus was really full - mostly with young brits but also some Germans and one or two other nationalities. Our new driver was a rugby-loving part Maori guy who was keen to tell us about his ancestral heritage as we drove along. We stopped at Cathedral cove on the Coromandel peninusula on the first day. Its a lovely stretch of coastline there and the weather was great too - far too warm to be called winter. Anyhow, first overnight stop was at Mercury bay where I got to know some of my new 'busmates'. Going to a ropey karaoke bar was good fun and was particularly enjoyed by some of the German crew. Next day the bus was going south to Rotorua - the place that famously smells of rotten eggs. Whilst there I undertook my first exciting (although not classed as 'extreme') activity of luging. This involved hurtling down a concrete track on a hillside in what was basically a plastic tray on wheels (thankfully included brakes) and was enjoyed by everyone. I decided not to go to the Maori cultural event in the evening as I thought it was too pricey. I need to find some cheaper activites as everythings so expensive when compared to similar activities in Asia. The next day we called in at the Agrodome which is basically a farm park where townies (and oddly lots of Chinese tourists) go to see farm-based activites. Some on the bus were nursing hangovers from the night before - not ideal for anyone who had planned to go zorbing.

Next stop was the famous Waitomo caves where the amazing glowworms live. I went on a 2 hour guided tour and saw lots of impressive stalactites and plenty of bioluminous glowworms. Some people on the bus booked to go on an 'extreme' abseiling and caving trip but it was called off the following day because it rained heavily overnight. Thats the trouble with being here in the winter I suppose.