Tag Archives: new zealand

There was one thing on the New Zealand Tourist Checklist that was just screaming out at me above all else. I wasn’t too bothered by sky-diving, bungee jumping, water skiing or walking a glacier (next time, maybe) but visiting the … Continue reading →

Hamilton is the city where my mum and step-dad live and, other that Auckland with sis&co, was my base. It’s not a bad base, being fairly central on the North Island, but it does have a reputation as a bit … Continue reading →

After the fantastic Waimangu Valley we stopped off in Rotorua for an hour on the way back to Hamilton. Wikipedia sez: “Rotorua is nicknamed Sulphur City, because of the aforementioned thermal activity. The sulphur gives off an odour unique to … Continue reading →

I’m getting behind so again I’ll keep it brief. After the mountains on what I guess was New Years Day in normalworld we went into the Waimangu Valley, notable because it was formed by a volcanic explosion in 1886 so … Continue reading →

Another tick on the New Zealand tourist checklist. Mudpools! Just north of Taupo on the way to the Waimangu Valley. 11 gloopy photos are here.

It’s a terrible cliche but I can’t help myself. Whenever I’m in certain parts of rural New Zealand the music of Howard Shore sings through my brain. At first I figured this was because the Lord of the Rings was … Continue reading →

Sunday saw us bundle into the “truck” and head off to Lake Taupo in one of the many volcanic regions of New Zealand. As I discovered at the Auckland Museum, NZ is pretty much made of volcanoes what it with … Continue reading →