road trip!

Last week Carl had five days off, so we rented a bright green camper van and hit the road. Five caves, three hot mineral pools, one boiling mud pit, and roughly 800 kilometers later, we were home. (if you can make it to the end of this blog post, there will be a video of the boiling mud pit!)

our van was quite convenient, with a sink, chilly bin, and even a little gas stove:

We arrived the first night (kind of by accident) at the most remote beach imaginable, 33 kilometers from a tiny town where we played pool at the local tavern (the sweet bartendress tried very hard to teach us how to play properly, but it was a lost cause...) The beach was only accessible by a tunnel through the rock.

morning on the barren beach:we spent our first day exploring the natural wonders in and around Waitomo. Visited an amazing formation called the Mangapohue Natural Bridge, where a river flows under a giant rock archway. Walked on a man-made bridge:


to get to the natural bridge:



Then came our exhilarating adventures deep into never-before-seen caves... actually we went on guided tours of two caves with built-in walkways and hand rails and gift shops outside- but it was still amazing! We walked an hour into the depths of a huge sandstone cave, full of wacky formations beyond the wildest stalactites of our dreams. We even rode in a little underground boat to see the glow worms, which form glowing constellations on the dark ceilings of the cave. It turns out dark caves are not photogenic, however.

The next day it was on to Taupo, which was a land of geysers and steam rising up out of the bushes, and lots of beautiful colors on the rocks from mineral deposits:

trying to stay warm- without getting too close to a boiling sulphurous pit:
On to Rotorua the next day, where we saw even more geothermal action:

...and even visited a little pool at the base of a cave where i was told that the water was good for cleaning jewelry. It was also so clear and still that I didn't see it and stepped right in- I guess I cleaned my shoes as well?

On one of the back roads, I got my first shot at driving on the left.
(Carl: "Now don't worry, Camille, because the van is uninsured and you are unlicensed .")

At least I don't drive with a kiwi in my mouth!

a memorable afternoon in a rushing hot river in the middle of the woods (see the steam?):


And finally....... the mud pits!





-Camille