Auckland to Rotorua
Yesterday we left Auckland early and had a full on day of sight seeing as we made our way south to Rotorua.
The day started with a trip to Waitomo Caves which are included as standard on all APT and Travelmarvel tours. They are limestone caves and home to millions of glow worms which light up the caves. Unfortunately we were not allowed to photograph in the caves so you will have to visit to see the full beauty.
From Waitomo we moved on to Hobbiton, the film set for the Lord of the Rings and Hobbit films. This was really interesting to see the farm that housed 13000 sheep which was picked for the set and to hear the behind the scenes stories and how the Hobbit holes were made. They even moved an oak tree from a neighbouring farm and wired on 3000 fake oak leaves. The tour culminated with a cider in the Green Dragon pub.
By the evening we’d arrived a few hours south at Rotorua. En route Rhys again shared his knowledge pointing out major farms and explaining the economy to us. I wasn’t aware that dairy farming is now huge in comparison to sheep farming and accounts for 72% of overseas money coming into the country.
For dinner we visited a traditional Maori village, sore the Maori way of life and enjoyed a hangi feast. This is food cooked in a hole in the ground covered with sacks and soil and it tasted amazing.
Finally the day ended with a trip to the Polynesian Spa on the shores of Lake Rotorua. This is a geothermal spa where we lazed in hot spring pools in the open air. This was an amazing way to end the day.
Overall it was an great day. We saw and did so much and I learnt loads, what the Maori facial tattoos mean, how the Asian culture is becoming dominant in New Zealand and how much a sheep costs at market. I feel ignorant at my lack of knowledge of this country and can’t wait to learn more and more as the week goes on.
About Me
I have worked in the travel industry for over 25 years now since beginning as a holiday rep on a campsite in France and I have a real passion for travel. I've worked in all aspects of the industry including sales, marketing and management and I've specialised in most products…
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