New Zealand - North Island

Landed into middle earth in the morning and promptly checked into ACB in Auckland. We watched Harry Potter and left for the bay of islands and Paihia on our very first Kiwi Experience bus. The town was sweet and we took a very fast tour of the bay on a speedboat - our first flavour of kiwi craziness. Cooked for ourselves as well which was great as we had not done this since home (and possibly even longer). The next day was spent taking another bus up to cape Reinga at the very top of the north island and see the merging of the Tasman sea and the Pacific ocean. Also drove all the way down ninety mile beach (which is actually 65miles long). Spent the evening watching the all blacks muller the springboks and met some people that we are still travelling with now, nearly four weeks later. The bus we took up to the cape was big and yellow, just like our big yellow boat we travelled on in Fiji. The next morning it was raining so we watched movies and headed back to Auckland where we dined on fine Pizza Hut pizza and beer.
The next day we joined Cheese's bus that would take us all the way to queenstown - didn't have any idea what an adventure we were about to start on. We travelled first to Mercury Bay where it rained constantly but we got to meet some of the bus. The next day we ran in the pouring rain on a hot beach, that had lava under it - was great until the tide came in and we nearly drowned! The next day we were in rotorua where the thermal lakes and geysers were. Also went on a walk through an abandoned gold mine. Rotorua stank because of all the sulphur from the volcanic vents - all looked very surreal bubbling up from under your feet everywhere. The evening was spent at a Maouri culture evening which was incredible. We saw dancing, music, the Hakka and finally ate the biggest meal ever with lamb, beef, mussels, yams, potatoes, greens, carrots, bread, chicken, salad and three puddings. It was all you can eat and I ate all I could, including a toilet break in the middle to free up some more room. Had two helpings of main and three helpings at dessert. Great to see some Maouri culture though - really eye opening. Next day we travelled to Waitomo where we saw rabbits being shaved - it was the most disturbing thing I've ever seen. Their coats are the softest material in the world and are used to make clothes. The rabbits have to be shaven as they would suffocate otherwise. Next two days were spent in Taupo - the lake was beautiful but we couldn't skydive because the clouds never budged. But we did get smashed whilst wearing bin bags, even though we went to the bar that wasn't having the bin bag night. Also played crazy golf that was moderately crazy. Saw the pool where Golum eats the fish in LOTR and also saw Mount Doom covered in snow - awesome. Next was River Valley where we watched rugby and stayed in one huge twenty bed dorm. Made a trampoline out of mattresses and jumped on to it from the roof. The next day we travelled down to wellington and spent the night in the only welsh bar in the southern hemisphere and "The Establishment" - the bar where the all black drink after games in Wellington. It was quite nice. Woke up early the next day to take the ferry to the south island. Got some great view from the ferry of Queen Elizabeth sound. Have just been blown away by how beautiful the whole of the country has been so far, but the south island was about to be even better...