Total Recall

So following surfing, caving, rafting, and skydiving, my first week ended with what is rated as one of the world's best one day walks- the Tongariro Crossing.  A challenging 19k trek through otherworldly terrain with steaming vents, solidified lava flows, technicolor lakes, bizarre rock formations, and a unique volcanic land form that teleports you from the usual lush rainforests and green countryside to a completely barren planet.  The 3 looming active volcanoes are: Mt Tongariro, Mt Ruapehu and Mt Ngauruhoe... aka "Mount Doom" from Lord of the Rings (nerd alert!)- this huge conical volcano was used as Frodo's ultimate destination to destroy the ring... and graphically enhanced with violently spewing lava.  The summit of Tongariro was a complete white out once the fog rolled in, but an amazing feat nonetheless.  After roughly 7 hours, I was pretty exhausted with the day and week I'd had and happy to be greeted with a cold beer in the car park.  What I accomplished in this single week were things I only dreamed of in a lifetime.  How do you return to "normal life" after that??

Straying off

Since jumping on the Stray backpacker bus and officially launching my journey, things have gone from mild to wild in .2 seconds.  My nearly 30 body has been in shock from all the constant action and often feels like its been hit by, well, a bus. It has officially caught the adrenaline bug and I'm actually pretty proud of what its endured thus far. 

Seeing that I'll have to make the most of my internet access while I have it, here begins the list of the madness that has been my life during the 1st week on the bus:

 

First stop took us to the stunning Hahei beach in the Coromandel Peninsula.  A group of us ventured off to the scenic Cathedral Cove hike past limestone caves and cliffs and were blown away by the pristine white beaches.  Btw, a scene from the Chronicles of Narnia was filmed here.  We also took a dip in the Hot Water Beach, where mother nature provided us with water as hot as 150 degrees, we just had to dig the holes in the sand to locate the hot springs.

Up next was a view of the impressive Bridal Veil Falls at 55 meters tall on our way to the chill surf town of Raglan.  This would be where we all got pummled by the sets of waves coming in and thrown around like clothes in a washer.  Good fun and good workout though.

Day 3 took us to Waitomo, home of the infamous glowworm caves.  I did a caving trip called "Tumu Tumu Toobing" which included swimming in freezing black water, climbing around stalagmites and stalagtites, and squirming through tiny claustrophobic tunnels.  Plus great views of the specks of green glowworms that covered the ceiling like a bright starry night.

    

Although this next town reaked of rotten eggs and sulfur, it didn't stop us from staying for a couple extra nights and having an awesome time.  Rotorua is known for its high levels of geothermal activity, which we took advantage of at the Polynesian Spa.  All the pools are naturally heated hot springs ranging up to 108 degrees.  This was the perfect means of relaxation before hitting up the Rangitaiki River for some class IV+ whitewater rafting.  We lucked out as the rivers had been closed due to recent storms and had a blast!  Definitely one of my highlights from the north island.

  

                                                 

                    

Last but not least was our short but sweet stop at Taupo, which is home to the largest lake in the southern hemisphere.  My palms were sweating and adrenaline pumping as we arrived at the skydiving center.  It was never a question of "if", but rather how high I should go before throwing myself from our tiny hot pink plane.  All in all my emotions were pretty in check until the moment we reached 15,000 ft (I went with the highest jump!) and the door was flung open.  This was when a bit of profanity may have escaped my mouth.  The most thrilling moment was sitting on the edge of the plane with my legs dangling in the air and suddenly like a magic trick, poof, we were gone and freefalling through the blue sky.  One of the most incredible feelings in the world and an amazing view of the lake and mountain ranges.  After the chaos came the calm of a gorgeous sunset.  go big or go home.  

 

                

Beyond Auckland

My first outing away from the city was to Te Awamutu and Hamilton with Sunny and Col for a local farmers market experience.  They have a new business called the Good Stuff Food Co. which consists of tasty homemade goodies like hummus, brownies, dukkah, and flavored pretzels.  Later that evening was my first go at a night out with the kiwis and lets just say the next morning was rough... one of the worst recovery days I've had in a VERY long time!  Their ability to consume beverages is impressive and no joke (note to self).

My next trip took me to the stunning Bay of Islands with coincidentally, an old coworker who has recently relocated from SF to NZ.  We went sailing for the day on the "Gungha II," a 65 foot yacht that made us feel like rockstars for the day.  Phenomenal and surreal... as we glided through the turquoise blue waters, then sailed through a school of playful bottlenose dolphins (apparently some of the largest in the world) which swam under and around our boat, and jumped in the air to top off their oceanarium like performance.

               

       

          

 So from one bay to another, I ended up heading to a sweet little art deco town in Hawke's Bay called Napier.  Great quaint, loungy place and also home to much of NZ's wineries.  I went for a wine tasting tour and was joined by 3 Irish girls and a couple from Scotland = a pretty good time.

Yes to drugs

They say adrenaline is New Zealand's drug of choice, and kiwis constantly overdose.  Within a country roughly the size of California and a total population nearly half that of the Bay Area alone, exists 14 national parks, hundreds of nature reserves and over one third of it is protected conservation land.  The diverse geography covers everything from mountain ranges to sandy beaches, lush rain forests, boiling mud, glaciers, fiords and active volcanoes.  If there has been any resistance to peer pressure or sudden impulses, I suppose now is the time to throw caution to the wind and my body from a plane at 15,000 ft... don't worry family, this being done of course with the utmost level of responsibility... and travel insurance!

All that being said, I've had a relatively "sober" and tame start to my journey thus far.  I've been fortunate enough to get introduced to some awesome people who have spoiled me with their generosity and relieved me from many of the challenges generally associated with arriving to a new foreign country.  I was picked up from the airport, then given my own room which became my nest for the next couple weeks in Auckland.  It was the perfect base to have (conveniently located near the waterfront and downtown) while I explored the city, met up with other acquaintances, and got my game plan together.