Auckland, New Zealand

Guest Bloggers:
The Koreys

Here we are again, 3 months later, traveling with Geoff and Erin through Kiwi-land. We've learned more about Maori culture, volcanoes, and Kiwis than we ever thought possible.

We spent several days in Rotorua, a geothermal area, where sulphur steam jets and bubbling mud were dotted all over the landscape. We spent an evening eating Maori BBQ (Geoff's favorite) and learning about their culture through song and dance. Dad really got into the aerobic chanting. We finished off the stay with our one and only viewing of the Kiwi bird in a Kiwi breeding center. New Zealanders have adopted the Kiwi as their national symbol, but will soon have to find a new one when they become extinct in the next 10 years. The sheep are lining up as replacements since there are ten sheep for every one person. We have a new appreciation and understanding for merino wool and New Zealand lamb shanks.

The one thing Erin can't get over is the abundance of avocados for 20 cents a piece. Sadly there are no Tostitos to be found or we would be eating guacamole every night.

We had hoped to finish up our road trip with some "tramping" on the famed Tongariro Crossing, but we were unfortunately stopped by our first cloudy/rainy day. We were able to get a nice hike in, but unlike Frodo, we were unable to climb Mt. Doom (Mr. Ngauruhoe). Fortunately we got a great view driving in of the Tongariro Range and the beautiful Lord of the Rings scenery.

It's hard to say goodbye to Geoff and Erin after such a fun road trip, but they're excited for their vacation from their vacation in Fiji. Had it not been for them we may not have taken the opportunity to travel to the other side of the world. We're just happy they're coming home soon.

**Erin's Editors Note**
We're off to Fiji for 12 days and most likely won't have electricity, let alone internet. Look for our next post when we hit the U.S. on the 22nd.