Don’t tell the Aussie’s but I prefer New Zealand, yep, I said it! I was only there for six days and could only see three parts of the north island but I have to say…
Auckland gets a bad rep mainly because the rest of the country is so colorful and has much to offer in comparison its not a bad city… Its small but fully functional and quite pretty in some places.
Rotorua smells of sulphur and is rightly so the most active area for guisers, hot springs and mud pools, they are everywhere, the town is cute but has not got much to do other than see the hot springs and guisers in various places; parks, preserved areas and random others that just happen to have been built around.
The highlight for me has to be my visit to the Tongurio national park…a trek across some gorgeous but in places hostile terrain with mountains and active volcanoes just for a bit of spicy fear factor. Yes, it had erupted in August 2012 and reopened in October with a shorten route for public access. Everyone in town is only too pleased to tell you they have no idea when it might go again…with the bus driver who took us there stressing we would be “human vapour” if it started to spew, right before he told us to have a great day…..charming.
Having said that the people make New Zealand one of the nicest places to be, they always have a light hearted joke and a friendly smile, what more could you need to feel welcome?
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