Beautiful Lake Taupo

We are now BACK in Taupo. After only a brief stay (2 nights) here a week ago. We figured that the fresh lake reminded us of home and was a nice change from the constant salt water so we came back for another 3 days. Yesterday we went out on a 3 hour sailing adventure to view Maori carvings into the side of a rock wall. Sailing was amazing, something neither of us had done before, and the carvings were quite a sight. We were a little disappointed to find out the carvings were only done 32 years ago but none the less it was a great experience. We also played chess on a life size chess board and hung out the park. Today is Ben's birthday! The weather is sunny but the wind sure does make it cold. I'm sure whatever we choose to do today will be great. Tomorrow we are off to Wellington, the capital of NZ.
~ The Traveling Duo

Lake Taupo

All day in the lake

Sailing

Maori Carvings

Lizard = protector of the carvings from the spirits

Sailing Duo

He won

Hot Water Beach and Cathedral Cove (Whitianga)

We have been in Whitianga in the Coromandel Coast now for 6 days. The weather has been very unpredictable but we were able to plan out some great adventure days anyways. First we took a rather windy (Ben felt very sick) 30 minute bus ride from Whitianga to Hot Water Beach. We packed a spade (shovel) and headed down the beach. We weren't quite sure where to begin our digging but found a group of successful diggers and set up next to them. Our first few holes (only a couple scoops of effort) were unsuccessful with only small pools of COLD water. However, eventually a rather hot hole was discovered. We expanded our personal "hot tub" to about 5x7 and 9 inches deep. This hot water beach is quite remarkable and very unique.You can dig and receive cold water and literally 3 inches away there will be water so hot you can't touch it. We haven't experienced anything like before.
Then today we went to Cathedral Cove. We took a short drive and then a quick 45 minute (each way) walk to the Cove. As you descend down the steps there is a beautiful white sand beach before you. Looking to the left there is a huge rock which without the tunnel would be a dead end road. As you walk through the tunnel another beautiful beach is before you. We played with the frisbee, took pictures and swam. We even discovered a cave in which we had to swim out into the ocean to enter the cave. This beach is absolutely the most beautiful and enchanting beach either of us have been too. Words can't really describe it so the pictures below should help. Tomorrow we are off to Lake Taupo again for another 3 day adventure.
~ The Traveling Duo

Digging our hole at Hot Water Beach

Too Hotttttt

Success

He did the majority of the digging

...and I did most of the relaxing

Relaxing at Cathedral Cove

Cathedral Cove

Birds eating the eye from a fish....

Ben

Brandy

Our Hostel

Hot Water Beach beginning of our dig

On to another town...

We are still in Rotorua and tonight will be night 5. Tomorrow we head about an hour south to Taupo to view more geological sites. We will be in Taupo for a short 2 nights before we head back to the land of             sun 'n' fun in the Coromandel peninsula. Our last couple of days in Rotorua have been filled with constant rain and today with thunder storms. We did manage to get out while the sun was shining though. Yesterday Ben went to Zorb down a 200meter grass hill. It was a fun experience, especially since we did it with other fellow backpackers that we have met at our hostel. Then today Ben and I took an hour walk through the Redwood Forest. Though we went on the wrong trail in the Redwoods we still had a great time and just barely beat the storm. Below are a few photos from our time in Rotorua.
~ The Traveling Duo

The Zorb hill

A few more friends

Ben in the Zorb

The Guys

The Redwoods

Classy Pose

Beautiful lookout

Fiddle Head Fern

Hot Springs, Cold/Hot Streams, Sulpher Lakes and More...

We are currently in Rotorua and loving it. While the weather has been a big change from the Bay of Islands we are very much enjoying it and so is our skin. We are officially no longer burnt...yaaa! Our first morning in Rotorua started off by taking a small half day tour to see the geological sites. A local Maori man, Wiitux, was our tour guide but more importantly just a fun, positive, up-beat person to spend 4 hours with. First we went to a sulphur pool named Champagne Pool. I have never seen water so aqua yet so pale at the same time with a white rim around the entire lake. Very beautiful. Then it was off to a local mud pool to scoop some mud to use later in the day. The smell of hard boiled eggs filled the air. Before putting this mud to use we stopped at a little creek. This was no ordinary creek. Half of the water was hot while the other half cold. We stepped in one side of the creek and the water felt cold but when moving 5 feet over the water felt like a hot tub. Very neat. Then it was off to a natural hot spring, Kerosene Creek. A little rushing creek created a small waterfall which is where we decided to soak under. The water again felt like a hot tub and was very relaxing. This concluded the end of that tour.
If all of that wasn't enough adventure, Ben and I decided to head up to a local gondola and partake in the luge. Ben questioned if it would rain and I reassured him it wouldn't. Once up the mountain via a gondola we got on our first luge and went racing down the hill. What a thrill! Once at the bottom both Ben and I remarked about what a liability this place could be. It is obvious that suing people isn't the way of life here like it is in the US. We did 2 more runs. On our last run it was pouring rain (apparently I was wrong about the rain) and our brakes felt a little iffy which led to us maneuvering a bit slower than the first two runs.
Today Ben and I went our separate ways. I viewed a movie and enjoyed a relaxing day at a local spa (Thanks Ben for the birthday gift) while Ben visited Hobbiton. This spa was no ordinary spa. First I went through 4 different hot spring pools (each increasing in temperature) for an hour and then it was off to half hour of massaging and another half hour of drinking herbal tea and relaxing. What a wonderful gift. Ben took a 40 min (each way) trip to view Hobbiton and lucked out with missing the rain. Overall we each had a great time.
Oh and our hostel here in Rotorua is quite amazing. Fun, young atmosphere, music always playing and wonderful rooms! Tomorrow we are hopefully off to find some Glow Worms!
~ The Traveling Duo

Champagne Pool

Mud Pool

Kerosene Creek

Soaking in a hot spring

Leaning Tree...fascinating

Taking a gondola ... before we got rained on

Hobbiton

Ben at Bag End

Paihia and Russell

Our time in Paihia was quite nice. The hostel we stayed in was nice. We shared a bunk room with 2 other people which could become quite annoying after enough time. However, we only stayed 3 nights which was perfect. Many of our days in Paihia were spent at the beach and not much else. After 3 nights in Paihia we took a quick ferry ride over to Russell. This island is very small and has a real beach town feel. We stayed at a Bed and Breakfast which was nice but we were glad to move on after a few nights. Again we soaked up as many rays we could and were quite tan and burnt all in one. I spent my 23rd birthday in Russell. Nothing too fancy happened because Russell is quite small but we did have a nice dinner and went to a local pub to play pool with a few English guys. We are currently in Rotorua which was an 8 hour bus ride from the Bay of Islands. We are staying in such a fun and young hostel. After only minutes in Rotorua we decided to book another two nights here. There is so much to do. We plan to see a volcano, put local mud on our bodies and soak in natural hot springs. We also plan to see a glow worm cave, swim in Lake Rotorua, visit a Polynesian spa and much more. There is so much to and we will update you later. Below are pictures from Russell.
~ The Traveling Duo

Typical day at the beach! (Russell)

Our standard set up!

Beach in Russell

Too much sun = reading on a bench!

23rd Birthday at the beach!

Funny picture...low tide...this boat looks a little too far in!