Kia Ora

Rotoura
(Kia Ora - Hello in Maori) I am currently breathing lungs full of sulphur in Rotorua. It is a city built around hot springs and disgusting looking bubbling pools of mud. Every few minutes the wind will change direction bringing the sulphur stench with it. I can't wait to get out of here.

This is what I am talking about. These pools are everywhere.

This was the biggest pool/pond I found. I had to hold my breath. Some guy tried to convice me that breathing sulphur sulfur is good for your lungs, I don't buy it.

In an attempt to escape the sulphur contaminated air I left the city limits to check out Rotorua's other claim to fame - their luge track. Instead of ice and a sled there is concrete and a three wheeled plastic car. I hopped on a gondola up to the top of a small mountain then took off back down, it was a lot more fun than it looks. I could have luged all day.

My sweet ride.

The beginner track. There was very little in terms of safety barriers. On the advanced track I saw a kid eat it pretty bad after taking a corner way too fast, put the car on two wheels, and fly off the track, over a dirt barrier, and down a hill into some trees. I'm sure he bounced back.

Waitomo
A few days ago I went caving in Waitomo which sounds kind of lame but it blew away any notions of what I thought caving was going to be. I was under ground for over three hours, abseiling, climbing, and walking chest deep in underground streams. At one point I was pinned between the bottom of a stream and the roof of the cave trying to "squeeze" through a whole only slightler larger than my body. Small spaces combined with absolute darkness really messes with my head.

Me learning to abseil. I am pretty sure that if there is some kind of man eating monster on earth that it lives in that cave somewhere.

One of the stalactites hanging from the roof of the cave.

Kiwis at a kiwi farm outside Waitomo.

Auckland

Before Waitomo and Rotorua was Auckland. I stuck around in Auckland for a few days after Rob headed south and I decided to attend New Zealand's biggest tennis tournament (which really isn't that big), climbed a volcano, and toured the rest of the city.

Rangitoto Island. One of the volcanos that helped form Auckland. Its bigger than it looks, especially when you are climbing it in a 33 degree heat.

Auckland harbour at sunset - complete with the biggest yachts I have ever seen.

I moved down to the front row. No one noticed.