Month: May 2018

Adrenalin Forest–“Level 6, There is No Option!”

Adrenalin Forest–“Level 6, There is No Option!”

Posted by | May 31, 2018 | |

New Zealand is a country full of beautiful sights, friendly people, and extreme activities. The Adrenalin Forest at the Bay of Plenty is an attraction perfect for any thrill seeker looking for a rush.  Or, if you are deathly afraid of heights like me, the perfect place to “eat some concrete and harden up.” It’s a saying that Surina’s Cousin Tautane (Gorilla) constantly shouted at me as a way to encourage me by testing my manhood.   How to Get There The Adrenalin Forest at the Bay of Plenty is located just outside of Rotorua.  It’s a 30 minute...

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Warm Waiotapu

Warm Waiotapu

Posted by | May 28, 2018 | |

After spending time in Rotorua (for more on that click here), we visited Wai-o-tapu Thermal Wonderland to see the Champagne Pool and all of the other creatively named thermal sights. The grounds are extensive and we enjoyed the walk to discover the many caves, lookout points, and pools. We even took a picnic in with us. If you have time, I recommend checking out this sight and touring the entire sight. But, if you are short on time it is easy to do the first loop or just part of it to see the Champagne Pool and some of...

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Radiant Rotorua

Radiant Rotorua

Posted by | May 25, 2018 | |

Rotorua is a land of geysers, mud pools, and sulfur smells. It is also a land rich in Māori culture. We arrived in Rotorua and had our fingers crossed that we would be able to find a spot to freedom camp near the lake. Unfortunately, the designated spot only had a few stalls and they were taken. We drove to another area and met a Māori man who not only told us to park next to him by the lake, but also shared stories at sunset about his time in Antarctica. Waking up on the lake was great because...

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Tongariro Crossing: How We Survived Mount Doom

Tongariro Crossing: How We Survived Mount Doom

Posted by | May 19, 2018 | |

We arrived to Auckland around midday. It took a lot longer to pick up our Britz rental van than we expected and a lot longer than it took in Queenstown (for more on our experience in Queenstown click here). We headed straight out of Auckland to Tongariro National Park to freedom camp for the night. I had already coordinated with my cousin, who is Samoan and was born and raised in New Zealand, to meet up and hike the Tongariro Alpine Crossing the next morning. I hadn’t seen my cousin in several years and Ryan had only met him...

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Mangapohue Natural Bridges and Marokopa Falls: A Quick Side Trip from the Waitomo Glowworm Caves

Mangapohue Natural Bridges and Marokopa Falls: A Quick Side Trip from the Waitomo Glowworm Caves

Posted by | May 18, 2018 | |

Are you visiting the Waitomo Glowworm Caves?  Are you wondering if there are any side trips worth taking in the area?  If so Natural Bridges and Marokopa Falls are two spots worth checking out.  It’s a half hour drive from the famous Waitomo Glowworm Caves.  What You Can Expect to See So what are the Natural Bridges?  Natural Bridges is actually a single arch.  Actually, it’s a 17m high natural arch that was formed when an ancient cave system collapsed.  Did you know that the area is littered with underground cave systems and that you can even go inner-tubing...

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