Nursing our hangovers from Toast Martinborough, we woke up insanely early for our ferry journey through the Cook Strait to New Zealand’s South Island. I had never driven on a car ferry before, so this was a new experience for me. After a nice breakfast on board, we found a comfy couch and I settled in to catch up on some sleep on the three hour journey. I was so glad I had brought my fleece blanket along because it was freezing!

Inside the car deck on the Interislander ferry to New Zealand's South Island. View at Picasa Inside the car deck on the Interislander ferry to New Zealand's South Island.21-Nov-2011 10:16

After I caught some Zzz’s and Erik watched a movie on his netbook, we went outside to soak up some of the luscious scenery as we entered the Marlborough Sounds. Simply stunning.

Passing through the stunning Marlborough Sounds. View at Picasa Passing through the stunning Marlborough Sounds.21-Nov-2011 09:17

When we landed in Picton, we were so excited to start exploring the South Island, as many travelers, even many Kiwis, had told us the South Island was much more beautiful than the North. When we pulled into the small town of Blenheim, we stopped at the Blenheim Motor Camp since we were trying to stick to our daily budget. The place was a dump and probably the dodgiest we stayed in in all of New Zealand. But, it was cheap and it had a kitchen, so we sucked it up. Many of the vineyard workers who are often travelers trying to earn some money while on the road, become long-term residents here, I’m assuming because it’s cheap. But, they get up early and it just made the whole place have a trailer park type vibe.

Baaah! A New Zealand traffic jam. View at Picasa Baaah! A New Zealand traffic jam.22-Nov-2011 09:20

We ventured into town to the New World supermarket and had a look at the local Sauvignon Blancs sold there. We bought a couple of bottles to sample and whet our palates for the next day’s wine adventures.

Unexpectedly, around 4am, a passing train abruptly woke us from our slumber. We hadn’t realized just how close we were to the train tracks.

The next morning, Kerry from Bubbly Grape tours picked us up for our day in the vineyards. We were so excited to try our favorite wines – New Zealand Sauvignon Blancs. This region of Marlborough has become famous worldwide for producing some of the best Sauvignon Blancs around, thanks to its diurnal climate with sunny, warm days and crisp, cold nights. Kerry hails from Australia, another wine-rich country, but moved to New Zealand with her husband and started her own wine tour company. As their company motto goes, “We’ll drive you to drink!” She’s very sweet and “bubbly,” quite knowledgeable in wines, and we thought the little wine journals and pens she handed out at the start of the day were a really nice touch!

The Bubbly Grape Wine Tours bus. View at Picasa The Bubbly Grape Wine Tours bus.22-Nov-2011 11:21

Our first stop of the day was at Lawson’s Dry Hills. Lawson’s was the first wine producer in New Zealand to use the screw cap (the Kiwis like to claim inventing it, but we hear it was really invented in Australia). The pinot noir was nice and the sauvignon blanc was crisp and tart and really had me excited for the white wines we would try all day. The host was funny and informative and we tasted 10 wines in all. Not a bad way to start the day at 10am! This was probably one of our favorite vineyards of the day.

Lawson's Dry Hills winery. View at Picasa Lawson's Dry Hills winery.22-Nov-2011 09:01

Our next stop was St. Clair. I had researched the vineyards and had suggested St. Clair, who is known for producing fantastic Sauvignon Blancs. It did not disappoint and had me hooked with its tropical tones and crisp tartness. Classic New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc. We would learn throughout our time in the country that the in-your-face tartness was signature New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc. As a wine drinker, you either love it or you hate it. We were huge fans from that day forward. Their rich and spicy pinot noir was lovely, as well. St. Clair is the largest family-run vineyard in the Marlborough region.

Our third stop was the world-famous Hunter’s Wines. Irishman Ernie Hunter moved to the country and decided to plant grapes in the region and have a go at producing wines. With that decision, he turned out to be a pioneer of one of the great wine-producing regions in the world. He won the region’s first wine award in 1985. Sadly, he died tragically in a car accident just a few years later. His dream lives on as his wife, Jane, and extended family have built the business into a hugely successful brand and Jane is now known to be one of the top women in the wine world. We actually got to meet her that day at the tasting room! We loved the Sauvignon Blanc (of course), and the pinot gris (French version of a Pinot Grigio) was full of nice tartness, as well.

Hunter's - one of the Marlborough region's original wine producers. View at Picasa Hunter's - one of the Marlborough region's original wine producers.22-Nov-2011 10:01

Allan Scott Winery was next. The sparkling Chardonnay was interesting, but for me, not in a good way. This brand is a huge wine-producer, but nothing really stood out as fantastic, except for the sauvignon blanc.

Allan Scott Wines - one of our least favorites of the day. View at Picasa Allan Scott Wines - one of our least favorites of the day.22-Nov-2011 11:21

We had a nice lunch in the gardens at Vines Village. Here, we also sampled some local chocolates and liquers (yummy…). We also did a tasting at Bouldevines. The Sauvignon Blanc and Granite Gardens varieties were nice, but the bottle of Sprig we bought on sale, deemed as everyday drinking wine, disappointed us.

Bouldevines - conveniently located at our lunch stop. View at Picasa Bouldevines - conveniently located at our lunch stop.22-Nov-2011 12:15

Forrest Wines was created by two former doctors. Their medical knowledge and training led to some interesting flavor combinations, but for me they were all just a bit odd. The Sauvignon Blanc and Rieslings were nice, and I especially liked the Waitaki Pinot Noir (which sells for $75NZ a bottle). It was nice seeing the grapes on the vine on our quick tour of the grounds and it was a joy to be able to choose which 7 or so wines we wanted to try individually.

View from the tasting room at Forrest. View at Picasa View from the tasting room at Forrest.22-Nov-2011 12:46

Our last stop of the day was Bladen Wines (our 7th winery of the day, for those of you keeping count). Whew! Christine and Dave MacDonald really liked wines, but knew nothing about making wine. In 1989, they left their city lives, bought some land, moved into a campervan (with a newborn baby) and planted their vines by hand. What a wonderful story! Christine was incredibly sweet and we were so taken by their story.

Christine from Bladen wines with our tour group. View at Picasa Christine from Bladen wines with our tour group.22-Nov-2011 13:38

The wines were lovely and it was the perfect way to end a wonderful day in the vineyards of our favorite wine. We are now forever ruined and spoiled by New Zealand’s delicious in-your-face tart Sauvignon Blancs. If you’ve never tried one, please do yourself a favor – run to the nearest wine shop and pick up a NZ Sauvignon Blanc. It will change your life!

Before even arriving in New Zealand, we had read about the Toast Martinborough Festival, held each November in the wine-producing region near the capital, Wellington. Unfortunately, the event sells out very quickly with only 10,000 tickets offered for sale. By the time we had heard about the festival and figured out that we would be there at the same time, the tickets were long gone.

Luckily, our Kiwi friend Lawrence told us about TradeMe.co.nz, their version of eBay/craigslist. A few days before the big event was scheduled to begin, we began trawling the site for spare tickets. Some were going for two to three times the face value. It was expensive enough to begin with (NZ$ 70 plus transport), so this added premium was a little too dear for us. Losing hope, Heather decided to check the Toast Martinborough Facebook Page, and found a pair of tickets being offered at face value by a couple that were having relationship issues and decided not to go. Their loss was our gain, and shortly after arriving in Wellington, we picked up the tickets and prepared ourselves for the festival to be held two days later.

Success! Tickets in hand for Toast Martinborough. View at Picasa Success! Tickets in hand for Toast Martinborough.20-Nov-2011 06:41

This still gave us a spare day to explore New Zealand’s “Windy City”, Wellington. Built upon steep hills surrounding a large, natural bay, with a large student population and creative community, Lonely Planet calls this the “coolest little capital in the world”.

Scenic views over the downtown area from the cable car to the Botanic Gardens. View at Picasa Scenic views over the downtown area from the cable car to the Botanic Gardens.19-Nov-2011 16:26

After exploring a bit of this old port city, it was easy to see how it earned all these accolades. On our first night, we checked out Cuba Street, where a huge number of bars and restaurants can be found.

Old meets new in Wellington's criss-crossing streets. View at Picasa Old meets new in Wellington's criss-crossing streets.19-Nov-2011 16:09

The next day, we visited the Te Papa National Museum, which hosts a collection of exhibits on New Zealand’s natural and human history. We were most excited by the colossal squid exhibit, which showcases the largest squid ever captured. It was caught in Antarctic waters in 2007, weighs nearly 500kg, and is the largest known invertebrate in the world. It also has the largest eye of any known animal. Cool!

The colossal squid on display at Te Papa caught in Antarctica's Ross Sea in 2007. View at Picasa The colossal squid on display at Te Papa caught in Antarctica's Ross Sea in 2007.19-Nov-2011 15:05

Finally, the day of Toast Martinborough had arrived. We bought round-trip bus tickets on TradeMe and got an early start, leaving the downtown area around 9am for the one and a half hour ride to the small town of Martinborough. Upon arrival at the town square, we exchanged our tickets for two wine glasses, which came with very handy neck straps, allowing us to roam from vineyard to vineyard without losing our wine glasses.

Enjoying a glass of white wine with our Toast glasses. Thank God for the neck straps! View at Picasa Enjoying a glass of white wine with our Toast glasses. Thank God for the neck straps!20-Nov-2011 09:12

Going on the advice of a fellow festival-goer we met earlier in the day, we decided to start at the farthest away vineyard and work our way back towards town, making use of the free shuttle bus. There were 11 different vineyards to get through, each offering food, wine, and live entertainment so it was going to be a long day!

Festival goers walking to the first vineyard. View at Picasa Festival goers walking to the first vineyard.20-Nov-2011 09:26

Many of the vineyards are fairly small and specialize in Pinot Noir. We were lucky to have a beautiful, warm, sunny day, but the balmy temperatures made it hard to enjoy red wines. Luckily, there were also a few white wines and sangrias on offer.

Each vineyard had live music and delicious gourmet food to accompany the drinks. It was the perfect way to spend the day.

Revelers enjoying the music from one of the live bands. View at Picasa Revelers enjoying the music from one of the live bands.20-Nov-2011 10:31

Unfortunately, the festival tickets do not include any wine and food, and this quickly adds up. Each vineyard usually offers small, cheaper “taste” pours along with full glasses. We typically tried a taste of wines we were interested in and only bought glasses for those we had already determined we liked.

A clever idea for a makeshift stage. View at Picasa A clever idea for a makeshift stage.20-Nov-2011 12:44

Amazingly, we somehow made it to all 11 vineyards, though details towards the end of the day do begin to get a little blurry! Luckily, we made it to our pre-arranged bus and got back to Wellington in time to enjoy a greasy diner meal before crashing in our hotel.

The next day, we were off to catch the ferry across the Cook Straight separating New Zealand’s two islands, ready to sample more wine in the famous Marlborough region…

In addition to the wine and Art Deco buildings, Napier also helped us to tick another prison off of our list. I’m not sure of the count of prisons we’ve visited thus far, but I’m guessing this is around number 10. Just outside of town, Napier’s Prison, built in 1862, is New Zealand’s oldest prison and was used up until 1993. It was soon decommissioned and in 2002, someone decided it would make a great hostel. (What a fantastic idea – we love this idea of turning something that used to be something else entirely into a hostel. We have even stayed in some bizarre ones! Don’t worry – we’ll be discussing those in future posts…) The prison was used as a hostel until 2007, but is now available for day visits, although I am sure you can stay for the night if you’re feeling brave.

You can tour the prison on your own or with an audio tour (available in 16 languages), but we recommend a guided tour, which is given twice daily by backpacker-type tourists looking to make some money. They are able to stay on the prison grounds and sleep in the old cells for free as a perk of their prison tour duties.

Napier Prison's front gate. It appears they substituted the word "Entertainment" for "Backpackers" after closing down the hostel. View at Picasa Napier Prison's front gate. It appears they substituted the word "Entertainment" for "Backpackers" after closing down the hostel.16-Nov-2011 12:48

As we walked into the prison, we were greeted by Basil, the prison cat. Basil is said to now embody the spirit of one of the old inmates, and it seemed so to us, as well. She followed us around the entire time and knew exactly where to take us next.

An old cell (and hostel room!) door. View at Picasa An old cell (and hostel room!) door.16-Nov-2011 14:26

The evidence of the massive 1931 earthquake surrounds you as you explore the prison. The ceilings are twisted, the walls are warped, and the floors bear very visual evidence of the huge buckling that occurred underfoot that day. When we looked down one of the prison’s long halls, we couldn’t miss the obvious damage the earthquake did to this building and it was easy to see just how it could cause so much damage throughout the town. We later learned it is the only place in Napier where you can see the original path of the huge quake.

Buckled and tilting floors are evidence of the Hawke's Bay earthquake of 1931. View at Picasa Buckled and tilting floors are evidence of the Hawke's Bay earthquake of 1931.16-Nov-2011 13:40

The huge prison wall that surrounds the place took two years to construct and was built entirely by prisoners. While doing time, the inmates passed the days by painting a huge mural on the wall of the courtyard.

Murals painted by inmates in the early 1990s. View at Picasa Murals painted by inmates in the early 1990s.16-Nov-2011 13:19

Cell walls also bear the drawings of inmates past, many of them gangmembers. Some of these old inmates have even recently expressed interest in retrieving them (weird!).

A small selection of gang-related graffiti. View at Picasa A small selection of gang-related graffiti.16-Nov-2011 14:27

On the tour, we got to see the old toilets, the old kitchen, and even the site where two executed inmates are buried in the backyard. Four inmates were hanged in the prison.

An outline traced on the prison wall is all that remains of the old gallows. View at Picasa An outline traced on the prison wall is all that remains of the old gallows.16-Nov-2011 13:50

When word spread of an upcoming hanging, people would pay to watch the hangings from atop the prison walls, if they could afford to pay to attend. The place definitely has a bit of a creepy feel to it. As often happens with old prisons, it was also once an orphanage and even an insane asylum. More goosebumps…

A couple of isolation cells - the one at right is padded. View at Picasa A couple of isolation cells - the one at right is padded.16-Nov-2011 12:56

Napier Prison is said to be haunted by the ghosts of inmates past. Some of the tour guide residents also say they have seen floating faces, and heard unexplained footsteps and doors slamming. The television show Ghost Hunters International visited the prison in 2011 and “were not disappointed.”

A spooky hallway. Guides told us a lot of paranomal activity has been observed here. View at Picasa A spooky hallway. Guides told us a lot of paranomal activity has been observed here.16-Nov-2011 13:30

After exploring the prison, we were glad to be getting out, but not before taking some cool mugshots!

You can check out anytime you like, but you can never leave! View at Picasa You can check out anytime you like, but you can never leave!16-Nov-2011 12:53

If visiting Napier, we highly recommend visiting the Old Napier Prison.

Our love of wine took us to several fantastic wine regions in both Australia and New Zealand. It’s always exciting and fun to see the vineyards and taste some of the wines we’ve been drinking for years back home. Just being there to see the gorgeous environments the grapes grow in is quite special, too.

The next stop on our New Zealand Wine Trail (yes, there really is one!) was Hawkes Bay. The long, hot summers and cool winters make the region a great place to grow some tasty grapes. Hawkes Bay is becoming known world-wide for its full-bodied red wines. Erik likes red wines, but I tend to stick to white wines. I was willing to give the local specialty a try, though.

Grape vines soaking up the sunshine in Hawkes Bay. View at Picasa Grape vines soaking up the sunshine in Hawkes Bay.17-Nov-2011 12:26

We wound up finding a cabin in Napier at one of the holiday parks for just around $37USD. This cabin was huge – it had a double bed, six single beds, a fridge, a toaster, and a tea kettle – it was a great deal for New Zealand!

Our basic holiday park cabin in Napier. View at Picasa Our basic holiday park cabin in Napier.16-Nov-2011 11:25

Oh! Before I forget again, I have to tell you about Tourism Radio! This was incredibly valuable and entertaining on our 7 week roadtrip through New Zealand. When we picked up our Jucy, we asked if we could also grab a Tourism Radio contraption. Erik had read about it online when researching Jucy’s perks. This radio system hooks into the cigarette lighter, and sticks onto the windshield with a suction cup. Once your location is sensed by the GPS, the radio will give you a friendly welcome to the beautiful country of New Zealand, instruct you on how the system works and then – THE BEST PART, as you travel it will tell you interesting sites you are passing, towns you might want to stop in, where to stay and even recommends places to eat! While we are fairly certain many of the suggestions are recommended simply because they get a kickback for the advertising, this Tourism Radio was a life saver! It definitely gave us tips on places (some really bizarre and interesting places) we wouldn’t have known about otherwise, and the best bonus, it played cool driving tunes to keep us entertained for our long hours in the car! (NOTE: If you rent a Jucy vehicle in New Zealand, be sure to request Tourism Radio – they even gave it to us for free)!

The open road south of Auckland. Our Tourism Radio unit is mounted to the left on the windshield. View at Picasa The open road south of Auckland. Our Tourism Radio unit is mounted to the left on the windshield.11-Nov-2011 16:53

Back to Hawkes Bay, we went on a wine tour of the region with Vince’s Wine Tours – sadly the famous Vince, who usually runs the tours and is said to be a ridiculously fun and informative host, was sick that day, so his wife took us out to the vineyards. We sampled some nice reds and a few decent whites, but the focus here is clearly on red wines. My tasting notes indicate that we only tasted one Sauvignon Blanc, a couple of Chardonnays, a couple of Pinot Gris, and a few white blends. We stopped at 5 vineyards – Mission Estate, Ngatarawa, Salvare, Alpha Domus and Moana Park.

Heather having some fun in the vineyard. View at Picasa Heather having some fun in the vineyard.17-Nov-2011 13:40

Mission is a huge wine-producer, so the tastings there were professional, but pretty serious and not as fun as some of the others. The grounds at Mission are beautiful and there is a small chapel on-site. The others were good, but nothing struck me as overly memorable. Our last tasting was my favorite – Moana Park, that produces bioorganic wines. Our tasting host was fantastic, very informative and friendly and the wines were wonderful. I’m not sure if it was just because it was the end of a long day of wine tasting, but we really had a blast there sitting outside of the benches talking about wine and having a few good laughs. And the wines really were nice.

The excellent tasting selection at Mona Park - our favorite winery of the day. View at Picasa The excellent tasting selection at Mona Park - our favorite winery of the day.17-Nov-2011 14:26

While in Napier, we also got to check out some of the fantastic Art Deco architecture that beautifully dominates the town. In February of 1931, a huge 7.8 magnitude earthquake devastated the town. 157 people were killed and all but a handful of buildings were completely destroyed. What hadn’t been toppled in the quake, was obliterated by the subsequent fires, which were no match for the wooden buildings of the day. By 1933, just two years later, the entire town had been rebuilt. There is hardly another town on earth that was built so quickly and entirely in the style of the 1930’s. Since this was the Great Depression and many people were desperate for work, the gargantuan effort of rebuilding an entire town quickly was exactly what Napier and nearby Hastings needed to provide a great amount of work for the otherwise out-of-work locals. Sir Neil Cossons, Chair of English Heritage, has said “Napier represents the most complete and significant group of Art Deco buildings in the world…Napier is without doubt unique.”

Even the McDonald's is Art Deco in Napier View at Picasa Even the McDonald's is Art Deco in Napier18-Nov-2011 08:55

Throughout the town, 140 beautiful examples of Art Deco buildings still stand today, and serve to form an architectural time capsule of sorts. We were lucky enough to have a private tour of the town with a guide from the Art Deco Trust. We booked the tour at the tourist information center in the middle of town and since one of the morning tours had just left, our guide said it was no problem to give us a tour of our own. She was very informative and sweet and took us to several important, striking buildings throughout town.

Some highlights were the Daily Telegraph building with its classic zigzags, fountain shapes, sunbursts and ziggurats.

The Daily Telegraph Newspaper building. It has now been converted into a real estate office. View at Picasa The Daily Telegraph Newspaper building. It has now been converted into a real estate office.16-Nov-2011 15:23

The building’s interior has been completely restored to its original Art Deco style and now houses business offices.

A beautiful glass dome ceiling inside one of the Art Deco buildings. View at Picasa A beautiful glass dome ceiling inside one of the Art Deco buildings.18-Nov-2011 08:18

It was neat to step inside such beautiful pieces of architecture. The former Criterion Hotel is now Criterion Art Deco Backpackers Hostel. As we passed it by, we sort of wished we had stayed there just for the novelty factor.

The old Spanish Mission style Criterion Hotel, which is now run as a backpackers' hostel. View at Picasa The old Spanish Mission style Criterion Hotel, which is now run as a backpackers' hostel.17-Nov-2011 08:37

The old Napier firehouse is now the classic Art Deco Trust office and museum; it houses the group which ran our tour and treated us to a nice cup of coffee and a movie about Napier’s Art Deco history.

The old Napier Firehouse, which now hosts the Art Deco Trust. View at Picasa The old Napier Firehouse, which now hosts the Art Deco Trust.17-Nov-2011 09:52

We also had a look at the old National Tobacco Company building outside of town, which is often considered the region’s Art Deco masterpiece with its starburst pattern over the main entrance framed by trademark roses and grapevines.

One of the best examples of Art Deco in Napier - The National Tobacco Company building. View at Picasa One of the best examples of Art Deco in Napier - The National Tobacco Company building.18-Nov-2011 08:17

Next time, our last stop in Napier, the Old Prison…

We continued south from Rotorua, down the Thermal Explorer Highway to Taupo. This small town sits on the edge of New Zealand’s largest lake, Lake Taupo. The lake is large – about the same size as Singapore – and is actually a crater lake, formed during some of the largest volcanic eruptions in the past 70,000 years.

The Taupo Volcano also hosts extensive geothermal systems in the surrounding area. One of the most famous is Orakei Korako, which features a series of stepped terraces. A steady stream of water trickles over the attractive terraces thanks to a series of hot springs and geysers. Sadly, a large part of the thermal features were submerged under an artificial lake which was built as part of a dam project 50 years ago.

Erik photographing the silica-covered terraces of Orakei Korako. View at Picasa Erik photographing the silica-covered terraces of Orakei Korako.14-Nov-2011 10:07

We enjoyed Orakei Korako, but didn’t find it as diverse and exciting as the Wai-O-Tapu Geothermal Wonderland near Rotorua.

The colorful, steaming, water-covered terraces. View at Picasa The colorful, steaming, water-covered terraces.14-Nov-2011 10:03

While in the area, we also checked out the Craters of the Moon geothermal area. These hydrothermal craters were mostly created after a nearby geothermal power station was built in the 1950s. It was neat walking around the steaming craters, but not much different than others we had already seen around the North Island.

The other-worldly Craters of the Moon. View at Picasa The other-worldly Craters of the Moon.15-Nov-2011 11:30

New Zealand’s most visited natural attraction sits just outside Taupo – the Huka Falls. The falls themselves are not that big or high, so we were surprised to hear they are so popular.

The roaring Huka Falls. View at Picasa The roaring Huka Falls.14-Nov-2011 15:33

A much more impressive site was further downriver at the Aratiatia Rapids. Here, the gates on the adjacent hydroelectric dam are opened three times daily, allowing a full flow of water to build up in the rapids. We enjoyed watching this free show twice while we were in Taupo. It was amazing to see the rapids go from virtually empty to roaring in the span of a few minutes. The additional water released each day by the dam is also essential for white water rafters shooting the rapids further down the Waikato River.

Water rushing through the Aratiatia Rapids. View at Picasa Water rushing through the Aratiatia Rapids.15-Nov-2011 12:16

After a couple days exploring Taupo’s natural attractions, we were ready for something a little different and set course for the Hawke’s Bay wine region.

After exploring the spellbinding caves of Waitomo, and spending the first night of our grand New Zealand roadtrip freezing in our cheap tent, we packed up and started making our way towards the town of Rotorua.

One of the wonderful things about having a car is the ability to make stops wherever we like. Along the way, we paid a visit to Kiwi House in Otorohanga to see the small nocturnal birds which New Zealanders name themselves after. We were ushered into a small, dimly-lit room, where we were able to see these cute little fat and flightless birds emerge for their daily feeding. Sadly, pictures were not allowed (the birds are very shy and sensitive to light). While they are a national symbol, Kiwi birds are one of the many endangered endemic fauna of New Zealand. Stoats, cats, and other introduced animals, along with habitat destrocution, threaten these funny little birds.

No photos allowed in the Kiwi House! This kiwi bird is not to scale... View at Picasa No photos allowed in the Kiwi House! This kiwi bird is not to scale...12-Nov-2011 14:25

We picked up a few more supplies and continued the three hour journey to Rotorua. Not wanting to spend another night freezing in our tent, I decided to book a room at a hostel using hostelworld.com. It had been a cold, wet day and we were both wearing our warm fleece jackets. Upon arrival at Astray Backpackers, the owner let us know that unfortunately there was a glitch with his booking system and someone else had already taken our room. The good news was that he would upgrade us to the 2-bedroom suite for free. Sure does beat another night in that cold tent!

Luxurious digs at the Astray Motel and Backpackers. View at Picasa Luxurious digs at the Astray Motel and Backpackers.12-Nov-2011 17:07

After settling in, we took a stroll around town. Rotorua is one of the most active geothermal areas in New Zealand, dotted with bubbling mud pits, geysers, fumaroles, and hot springs. The entire town smells of sulfur and there are cases of steam shooting out of the roads and sidewalks. It really does feel as if the whole place could blow up at any moment!

A walkway over a steaming thermal pond in one of Rotorua's public parks. View at Picasa A walkway over a steaming thermal pond in one of Rotorua's public parks.12-Nov-2011 17:50

We explored the Kuirau Public Park near our hostel, which has a nice walking path around many intensive geothermal areas. It was a lot of fun watching all the bubbling, boiling, and hissing. Fences have been put up around the dangerous areas, but every once in a while a new vent opens up, so it’s important to stay alert.

Erik next to a boiling mud pit. View at Picasa Erik next to a boiling mud pit.12-Nov-2011 17:47

After a good night’s rest in a real bed, we set off the next day to visit more geothermal attractions. Our first stop was the Wai-O-Tapu Thermal Wonderland – one of the many geothermal parks found around Rotorua that was suggested to us by our hostel owner.

Wai-O-Tapu's champagne pools. View at Picasa Wai-O-Tapu's champagne pools.13-Nov-2011 10:52

We spent a few hours exploring the Wai-O-Tapu’s many steaming craters, bubbling pools, and brightly colored mineral lakes.

A bright green mineral lake at Wai-O-Tapu. View at Picasa A bright green mineral lake at Wai-O-Tapu.13-Nov-2011 12:20

One of the main attractions of the park is the Lady Knox Geyser, which is made to erupt each day by dropping a bar of soap down its spout. Pretty impressive, even if it isn’t 100% natural.

The Lady Knox Geyser, erupting daily at 9:45am on the dot. View at Picasa The Lady Knox Geyser, erupting daily at 9:45am on the dot.14-Nov-2011 08:34

On a lark, we stopped by the nearby Waikite Valley Thermal Pools. These pools are fed by the adjacent Te Manaroa hot springs – New Zealand’s largest source of natural boiling water. We enjoyed relaxing in the beautiful pools, some with excellent views over the surrounding countryside. It’s a pretty good deal at just $14 NZD entry.

The Te Manaroa hot springs - source for the Waikite Valley Thermal Pools. View at Picasa The Te Manaroa hot springs - source for the Waikite Valley Thermal Pools.13-Nov-2011 14:46

After two nights, we were ready to leave Rotorua, but still had more geothermal sights to explore on our way to Lake Taupo…

Some of this may seem like a repeat of what Erik said in our last post about Auckland. But a different writer gives a different point of view, right?

We arrived in Auckland hoping that my driver’s license had already made it their by post and we would be able to rent our car and be on our way. Sadly, it took longer than we’d hoped and we wound up staying in Auckland for nearly a week waiting. And waiting. Finally, one day we got the word from Andrew, a friend of our Kiwi friend Lawrence, who we’d met on the West Coast, that the package had arrived! We zipped on over to his place straightaway to pick it up! A big shout out and many thanks to both Andrew and Lawrence for their help. Our NZ (and later Australian) road trips would never have happened without their help! We chatted with Andrew a bit and got a few tips on what we couldn’t miss in this stunningly gorgeous country. He was also nice enough to give us an NZ Lonely Planet to help us plan our journey.

She's got a license to drive! View at Picasa She's got a license to drive!10-Nov-2011 22:09

That very day, we went online and booked our cute little car through Jucy, a trendy, colorful car rental company in New Zealand. We had originally planned to get a Jucy campervan, which is basically a standard minivan decked out with a foldable bed, sink, stove, DVD player, and fan. But we figured for a first time “wrong” side of the road driver like myself, a nice compact car might be better, especially since it would be for 7 weeks.

Keep Left! Jucy attached this prominent sticker to serve as a reminder. View at Picasa Keep Left! Jucy attached this prominent sticker to serve as a reminder.11-Nov-2011 09:53

The next day, we picked up our adorable little black Hyundai Getz four-door hatchback. Since it was a long-term rental, we got a great rate for just $27 USD a day!

Standing next to our Jucy rental at our first campsite in Waitomo. View at Picasa Standing next to our Jucy rental at our first campsite in Waitomo.12-Nov-2011 07:53

After signing all of our paperwork and getting all of our free maps and brochures from the Jucy gang, we were off! I was very nervous to be driving on the other side of the car and other side of the road for the first time. And I had to drive in a city, of course! The first few minutes were a bit strange, but I have to say, I was pretty chuffed with myself at adjusting so quickly, and I hadn’t really driven in about 1 1/2 years!

The open road south of Auckland. Our Tourism Radio unit is mounted to the left on the windshield. View at Picasa The open road south of Auckland. Our Tourism Radio unit is mounted to the left on the windshield.11-Nov-2011 16:53

First stop was to The Warehouse, New Zealand’s version of WalMart for our road-trip equipment supplies shopping spree. On the list: kitchen supplies (a pot, a pan, cutting board, utensils, a cheap set of knives), and sleeping stuff. We had all good intentions of camping, so we bought a cheap tent (cheap in price and in quality, it turned out), a comforter set, pillows, and an air mattress. This all took much much longer than we had planned. By the time we headed back to the car it was already after 6pm. Not exactly ideal for the first leg of our road trip…

Loading up on camping gear at The Warehouse - sort of like a NZ version of Walmart. View at Picasa Loading up on camping gear at The Warehouse - sort of like a NZ version of Walmart.11-Nov-2011 15:02

We decided to hit the famous Waitomo Caves as our first stop. It was just about 2 1/2 hours from Auckland, so we arrived soon after dark. Sadly, many of the hostel reception desks were closed, so night #1 became a camping night! We found a holiday park (for campervans and tenters) that said late arrivals were ok and that we could pay in the morning. At 9:30pm, we were setting up our tent and inflating the air mattress in the dark! But, all was good. We had a nice glass of wine and sandwiches under the moonlight. Exhausted after a very long day, we got to bed early. The next morning we would head into the famous Waitomo glowworm caves.

After a very brisk night in the tent, we realized that New Zealand nights were going to be much colder than we had thought. We booked a day tour through Spellbound to see the glowworms. There are many of these caves throughout New Zealand that are home to thousands if not millions of glowworms. The day started with a beautiful drive and then a walk through the country’s stunning green hills. The rain came just in time for us to have a cup of coffee and head into the cave. We chose this tour company because they avoid the popular cave that most tours take visit. Our cave was very quiet with just our boat in the river. Our awesome guide pushed us silently up and down the river slowly so we could enjoy the quiet cave and gaze at the glowing worms above our heads. They have even set up a series of ropes so the guides can pull the boat along without using a motor or making much noise. It was quite a sight to see thousands of glowworms clinging to the cave ceiling. We tried our best to get a decent shot, but this is the best we got.

No - not a starry night shot. This is the best picture we could get of the famed Waitomo glow worm caves! View at Picasa No - not a starry night shot. This is the best picture we could get of the famed Waitomo glow worm caves!12-Nov-2011 10:09

Waitomo was a lot of fun, but before we knew it, we were back in the car for our next adventure – the smelly town of Rotorua.

We left Sydney early for the three hour flight across the Tasman Sea to New Zealand’s largest city, Auckland. While our flight was originally booked with Virgin Australia, we ended up on their partner, Air New Zealand. The time passed by quickly thanks to the personal seatback entertainment units. We also got a big laugh out of what has to be the world’s funniest pre-flight safety video, featuring Richard Simmons.

Flying in to Auckland, we were immediately struck by how green this country is. Looking down through the airplane windows we were greeted by what appeared to be a lush, rolling carpet of countryside. After six weeks in Australia, we had grown accustomed to the dry and brown landscapes, so it was nice to see something a little more colorful. Another shock was the weather. As a South Pacific island with a temperate marine climate, average temperatures rarely top the 70s (Fahrenheit). Even though we were visiting in late Spring, we would have to keep our warmest pieces of clothing on us at all times. Brr!

Safe and sound at Auckland Interntional Airport. View at Picasa Safe and sound at Auckland Interntional Airport.07-Nov-2011 10:20

After checking in to our hostel, we walked around the downtown area before deciding to check out the city’s iconic Sky Tower. This 328m (1076 ft) tower is the largest free-standing structure in the Southern Hemisphere – a pretty impressive feat for one of the most seismically active countries in the world! Temporarily suspending our fears of “the big one,” we rode the high-speed elevator to the top and took in the impressive views of the city and surrounding harbor. We even enjoyed a reasonably-priced glass of New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc from the bar at the top!

Enjoying a nice glass of New Zealand wine at the top of the Sky Tower. View at Picasa Enjoying a nice glass of New Zealand wine at the top of the Sky Tower.07-Nov-2011 17:11

New Zealand is known world-wide as an adventure activity destination, and not wanting to feel left out, Auckland and the Sky Tower offer their own share of adrenaline-fueled options. We briefly considered the SkyWalk, which takes visitors on a 360-degree tour around a catwalk outside the observation deck, suspended 192m (630 ft) above the ground. While we would have been (supposedly) secured with a harness, we decided to leave the adventure activities for a little later on in our travels around the country. The other adventure activity offered is the SkyJump, which connects thrill-seekers to a long steel cable and allows them to drop off the side of the building, arresting their descent before they are lowered down to the plaza at the base. We watched from the observation deck as one brave soul took on the SkyJump.

The biggest thrill we got at the Sky Tower was walking over the reinforced sections of glass flooring. While only 1.5 inches thick, they felt pretty secure!

Standing over the glass floor at the Sky Tower. View at Picasa Standing over the glass floor at the Sky Tower.07-Nov-2011 15:45

Back on ground level, we also loved learning more about New Zealand’s proud maritime tradition at the Voyager Maritime Museum. There, we learned more about Polynesian and European immigration to this fairly new country, saw a number of videos and interesting exhibits on the famous Kiwi sailor Peter Blake, and checked out the interesting vessels on display.

Inspirational messages written by Kiwi Rob Hamill inside the row boat he used to row across the Atlantic. View at Picasa Inspirational messages written by Kiwi Rob Hamill inside the row boat he used to row across the Atlantic.09-Nov-2011 13:25

Before arriving in New Zealand, I contacted a couple old friends now living in Auckland, Grant and Lee-Ann. We arranged to meet up one night at Grant’s workplace and head over to their house for dinner. It was a real surprise when I discovered his office was literally next door to our hostel. In fact, we could see him working at his desk through our window! We had a great time catching up with Grant and Lee-Ann and meeting their two adorable children. It had been nearly seven years since we had last seen each other in London, so obviously there was a lot to chat about.

Dinner with Grant and Lee-Ann in their home. View at Picasa Dinner with Grant and Lee-Ann in their home.08-Nov-2011 17:48

While walking around the city, we noticed comedian Eddie Izzard would be performing while we were there. Luckily, we were able to grab the two remaining tickets to his show the day of the performance. At around $65 each it was a bit of a splurge, but we really enjoyed the opportunity to do something a little different.

Eddie Izzard on stage in Auckland. View at Picasa Eddie Izzard on stage in Auckland.09-Nov-2011 18:49

We ended up in Auckland for nearly a week, as we were waiting for Heather’s US drivers license to arrive in the mail. Lawrence, our Kiwi friend we met in Western Australia, kindly put us in touch with a friend of his in Auckland that would be able to receive the license from Heather’s parents. After six days waiting for the package, we finally heard that it had arrived and picked it up from Andrew.

She's got a license to drive! View at Picasa She's got a license to drive!10-Nov-2011 22:09

Finally, we were ready to leave Auckland and begin our great New Zealand road adventure!

We had heard a lot of good things about the laid-back beach town of Byron Bay, and made sure to set aside enough time to properly enjoy our stay there. We ended up spending five days there – more than any other stop on our way down Australia’s East Coast – and could have easily stayed longer. Byron Bay rocks!

We were met off our Greyhound bus by someone from our hostel, ready to give us a lift. Even though it was only three blocks, we took them up on the offer. Since we were the only people in the van, our driver even threw in a free tour of the town! To top things off, the hostel was very comfortable and quiet, and even had a beautiful swimming pool.

The pool at our hostel in Byron Bay. View at Picasa The pool at our hostel in Byron Bay.30-Oct-2011 13:23

Travelers we had met during our previous five weeks in Australia had recommended diving the Julian Rocks while in Byron Bay. Luckily, a local dive shop was located next door to the hostel and I booked two dives at the rocks. That said, I was a little concerned about diving as I’d just stubbed my toe really hard and thought it might be broken.

Erik's stubbed toe, turning black and blue. View at Picasa Erik's stubbed toe, turning black and blue.31-Oct-2011 12:33

Nevertheless, I went ahead with the dives. The visibility was pretty poor – upon first looking down through the water with my goggles the first thought that came to mind was “pea soup!” – but it was still enjoyable. A highlight of Julian Rocks is the resident sharks – especially nurse sharks and the funky-looking wobbegong sharks. It was thrilling to dive with these creatures, some of them over 2m (6 ft) long. With the poor visibility you never knew if one might pop up around the corner!

Julian Rocks sits in the middle of Byron Bay. View at Picasa Julian Rocks sits in the middle of Byron Bay.31-Oct-2011 16:03

It didn’t help that the night before diving Heather had stayed up late Googling stories about Australian shark attacks. Apparently a diver was taken by a 6m great white shark at Julian Rocks in the 1990s. She proceeded to recount the entire story to me as I was on my way out the door. I was not amused, and kept a pair of eyes in the back of my head the entire time. Thankfully, none of the many sharks I spotted were dangerous!

One morning, both of us took to the bay in a kayak tour, hoping to spot some of the resident dolphins, or perhaps even a passing humpback whale. Sadly, we only saw a few dolphins off in the distance. The shadow of a fairly large shark passing near the front of our tandem kayak discouraged us from falling out!

Paddle, Paddle, Paddle! View at Picasa Paddle, Paddle, Paddle!

While we didn’t quite have the wildlife experience we were hoping for, the kayaking itself was fun. Paddling out in the big surf was pretty challenging, but we did a good job staying upright (others weren’t as lucky).

Surfing our way back in to shore. View at Picasa Surfing our way back in to shore.

Landside, there were also a lot of fun to be had in Byron Bay. We enjoyed the hippie, surfer, and backpacker-infused vibe of the area, and had a blast exploring the many bars and entertainment venues. Halloween happened to coincide with our visit, so we dressed up and headed to one of the backpacker bars for a night out on the town.

Heather's kitty kat Halloween costume. View at Picasa Heather's kitty kat Halloween costume.31-Oct-2011 22:28

There were also a number of great walks and bike rides to enjoy in the area. We especially liked walking up the hill to the Cape Byron Lighthouse, which is the easternmost point in Australia. We had already visited the westernmost point in Denham, so now we could say we had been to both ends!

The easternmost point in Australia - Cape Byron. View at Picasa The easternmost point in Australia - Cape Byron.30-Oct-2011 16:15

From the lighthouse it was also possible to view the passing humpback whales. We saw them blowing, and breaching, and performing all sorts of great tricks as usual. Heather liked it so much she headed back on her own one day while I was working.

The Cape Byron Lighthouse. View at Picasa The Cape Byron Lighthouse.31-Oct-2011 14:20

Our time headed down Australia’s East Coast was quickly drawing to a close, and we found ourselves with just a few days to spare before boarding our flight to New Zealand. We boarded our last overnight bus (for a while at least) to Port Macquarie.

With year-round warm weather, a never-ending stretch of beautiful beaches, luxurious high-rise hotels and apartments, and a number of major theme parks, it’s easy to confuse The Gold Coast, Australia for Florida, USA. This tourism hot spot, sitting near the New South Wales border in Southern Queensland, has been dubbed “The Miami of Australia,” attracting nearly 10 million visitors per year.

"How much to the YHA Hostel?" View at Picasa "How much to the YHA Hostel?"28-Oct-2011 12:50

We originally decided to skip the Gold Coast. Why travel to the other side of the world to visit an Australian replica of a Florida resort city? We did not set off on this trip to see shopping malls, chain restaurants, night clubs, and amusement parks.

The Hard Rock Cafe on Cavill Ave in Surfers Paradise. View at Picasa The Hard Rock Cafe on Cavill Ave in Surfers Paradise.29-Oct-2011 17:24

But in addition to all this, we discovered that this area also offers whale watching tours, during the annual humpback whale migration. After our unbelievable experience in Hervey Bay, we put the Gold Coast back on our list (we’re whale addicts!) and booked a room at the YHA Hostel in Surfers Paradise.

We ran into this beach volleyball tournament while exploring the boardwalk. View at Picasa We ran into this beach volleyball tournament while exploring the boardwalk.29-Oct-2011 15:07

Surfers Paradise is the capital of the Gold Coast, home to most of the region’s hotels and tourist attractions. After checking in to our hostel, we wandered along the beach towards the center of town. We would have loved to have gone in for a swim, but unfortunately the beach was littered with jellyfish, including Blue Bottle Jellyfish (what we call Portuguese Man of War back home).

Lots of stinging jellyfish had washed up on the beach. View at Picasa Lots of stinging jellyfish had washed up on the beach.28-Oct-2011 17:53

The 80-story Q1 apartment building is the tallest building in the Southern Hemisphere, and previously held the title of tallest residential building in the world.

The Q1 building - the tallest building in Australia and the Southern Hemisphere. View at Picasa The Q1 building - the tallest building in Australia and the Southern Hemisphere.29-Oct-2011 12:52

We visited the observation “Q Deck” at the top of the building to soak in the 360-degree views. There were also a number of exhibits on the construction of the building and the history of the Gold Coast.

Looking out over the Gold Coast from the Q Deck. View at Picasa Looking out over the Gold Coast from the Q Deck.29-Oct-2011 14:40

Whale watching – the reason we came here – almost didn’t happen. After doing a little research, we found out that the best Whale Watching originates in New South Wales, which has different laws about how close whale watch operators can stay to the coastline. While we were close to the Coolangatta-Tweed Heads border area where these tours depart, getting there in the morning with public transportation would have proved to have been very difficult. We were just about ready to give up, but at 6:45am on the morning we had planned to go, the captain of Coolangatta Whale Watch called us. Heather had already been in touch with him – he had informed us that the van which would be picking up passengers from Surfers Paradise was full. Luckily, he had phoned to inform us that some last-minute spaces had opened up and we could run outside and join the tour!

Coolangatta Whale Watch, on the Queensland-New South Wales border. View at Picasa Coolangatta Whale Watch, on the Queensland-New South Wales border.29-Oct-2011 11:51

After boarding the boat and leaving the marina, we spotted our first whales pretty quickly – a mother with her calf.

We spotted this mother and calf close to shore early in our tour. View at Picasa We spotted this mother and calf close to shore early in our tour.29-Oct-2011 10:08

We were lucky enough to see a few whales blowing, tail slapping, and showing their flukes.

Lots of tail slapping, but unfortuantely no breaches. View at Picasa Lots of tail slapping, but unfortuantely no breaches.29-Oct-2011 10:21

It was a fun day out and we enjoy every opportunity we get to watch these magnificent creatures, but it was a far cry from the amazing show they put on for us in Hervey Bay.

The Coolangatta Whale Watch boat. View at Picasa The Coolangatta Whale Watch boat.29-Oct-2011 11:50

After two nights in Surfers Paradise, we had had enough of the kitsch, and were ready to move on. Next stop down the coast – the surfer and hippie-filled town of Byron Bay.