New Zealous Escapades in New Zealand (and photos)

New Zealand- land of the long white cloud, land of roast lamb, land of adventure sports. I've spent this past week travelling around the northern half of the North Island, endulging in activities both familiar and new. After a quiet start in the metropolis of Auckland, I joined the Kiwi Experience bus, which will take me around NZ, to venture North toward the top of the country. In Paihia I took the Excitor speedboat out round the Bay of Islands, before going to Cape Reinga, the very top of New Zealand, a location of prime spiritual significance to the Maori people as the departing place of the souls, where I sandboarded 4 times- a new experience for me. Whitianga was a bit of a washout but we did see Mercury Bay on the way to Rotorua. Rotorua is a Maori cultural centre as well as a site of geothermal activity, resulting apparently in a very sulfurous smell, which my awful nose was barely able to detect. In the evening, we took part in the Tamaki Maori cultural experience. We listened to Maori stories and music and dance before partaking in a dinner, where I ate so much even the guys thought it was ridiculous. On the way back, there was a ritual of a representative from each country leading a song from their country- and I took the mic for England- a drummer as lead singer is a scary thought, right? Incidentally, it was the second time I've led a national anthem, having done the Northern Irish one at Church camp a few years back. From Rotorua, we travelled on the see the caves of Waitomo before heading for Taupo, from where I write to thee. Photos so far can be found on facebook and Picasaweb at http://picasaweb.google.com/maxbarnish . The album is called NZ North Island: Cape Reinga to Taupo. So far, I've enjoyed my time on the big green Kiwi bus, even though it can be debaucherous and the focus is often on cheap thrills, which isn't my scene.

Max