Pavlova, at last!

We decide to have some coffee & cake at the sky tower cafe while taking in the view & finally get to have a pavlova. Prior to visiting New Zealand we thought that the pavlova was a meringue based cake named after Anna Pavlova. Having spent the last 4 and a half weeks here we now understand that the pavlova is nothing less than a national institution in New Zealand. There is some debate in Antipodean circles as to whether the Aussies or the Kiwis invented the pavlova but frankly while on New Zealand soil I wouldn't dare to even discuss this. We just settle for eating some & regardless of its country of origin, all we know for sure is it's delicious!

Sky Tower

It's our last day in Auckland & in New Zealand too so we decide to visit the Sky Tower, the tallest building in the Southern hemisphere & the most recognisable feature of the Auckland skyline. The tower is 328 metres tall & our ears pop as the lift takes just 40 seconds to take us up to the top. We are rewarded with 360 degree views of the city & harbour with an extra treat of capturing this bungee jumper in our snaps too.

Auckland Skyline

The first picture is our view of Auckland as we drive into the city. The second is the view from our YHA room window. We're both surprised to find how great it feels to be in a proper city for a while after all those hills & countryside.

Hundertwasser's Loo

On the way to Auckland we have a brief stop in Kawakawa to see these top notch public toilets designed by Austrian architect Hundertwasser. He lived in the town for over 25 years. The walls are pretty impressive but we were slightly disappointed that the toilets themselves were bog standard. Sorry, couldn't resist.

A Walk Around Opononi

Everyone we met in the South Island of New Zealand said they didn't like the North Island as there are too many people & it's just too busy. At this point except for Lois & Tui we haven't seen a soul for two days except for these cows. I guess it's all just relative.

Wild Flowers

We've had such a nice time at the Okopako Lodge in Opononi that we're reluctant to leave. Lois suggests that we have a walk on the surrounding farmland. We've only gone a few paces before we see these beautiful flowers by the side of the road.

Cat + Cushion = Comfort

This is Tui. She has a lot of love to give. She also has very sharp claws but with the help of a cushion as a buffer everyone is happy.

Okopako Lodge

This cosy hostel just outside Opononi is one of our favourites. It's on organic farmland and is run by Lois who bakes us fresh bread for breakfast & gives us fejoas from the farm (the lovely green fruit in the bowl). We have the whole of the tiny hostel to ourselves & enjoy a pot of tea in this fab pot. The hostel is delighfully free of mod cons & it took us a while to figure out that this metal thing resembling a medieval torture device is actually a toaster & very well it worked too.

Waipoua Kauri Forest

Before the Europeans arrived in New Zealand much of the land was covered with Kauri trees. Now that 80% of the forest land has been cut down the few remaining Kauri forests are protected by the department of conservation. In Waipoua we see the world's tallest and the world's widest & oldest Kauri trees. It's very diifcult to get a sense of how imposing these huge trees are in photographs but if I say that they are approximately 2000 years old & 5 metres in diameter you get the general idea.

Zorbing

One of the popular adventure activities in Rotorua is 'zorbing' which is basically rolling down a hill inside a huge, inflatable hamster ball. At our hostel we meet three medical students from Birmingham who did this with all three of them inside the same ball. They assured us that they were not strapped in. We prefer to watch this madness rather than participate. We've seem the bruises.

Lake Rotorua

Lake Rotorua is very peaceful & full of black swans.

Mud Pool

The thermal area also has this fantastic mud pool which plops away happily to itself.

Pohutu Geyser

Also in Te Puia is a large thermal area with one particularly active geyser. The smaller one next to it bubbles a bit first to get you in the mood & then the big one spouts hot water 30 feet or so into the air several times an hour.

Rotowhio Marae

Te Puia even has its own marae (sacred meeting house) & we watch a performance of Maori singing and dancing in here. We watch the women perform a poi dance which involves swinging small flax pom poms on long pieces of twine around themselves like majorettes twirling batons. We also get to see a haka which is a war dance performed by the men and involves a lot of foot stamping, sticking out and waggling of tongues and frightening stares. All very interesting, entertaining & a lot of fun.