New Zealand: North Island

"There and Back Again", an apt way to introduce our second holiday spent in lovely New Zealand! (Avid fans will recognize this to be the subtitle of The Hobbit.) These lovely, enchanting isles lured us back again, and I'm still dreaming of mountain highs, valleys low (and full of fruit and wine!), exciting adventures, amazing food, and sheep!

Arriving in Auckland, we rented a car and headed to fun-loving Hamilton for New Year's Eve. Though jetlag forced us to bed early, we toasted 2014 over dinner in Mexico (the name of the restaurant), and my kids thought breakfast at Dunkin Donuts was a great way to start a new year!

We enjoyed a short hike at Arapuni Dam/swingbridge in Putaruru, then hoped to visit Over the Moon Cheese Factory. It was unfortunately closed for the holiday, but we enjoyed a yummy lunch across the street at Crazy Cow Cafe.

Next up was high thrills at Zorb Rotorua, an original New Zealand invention! What better way to ring in the new year than to roll down a huge hill in a water-filled, giant ball?! My family quickly voted me as the guinea pig, so I made my way up to try the zigzag track, which was great fun and left me soaked and giggling! Then everyone had their turns (and more turns, and more turns . . .), and we all loved it. Once I even tried the "dry" Zorb; I was strapped in and pushed down the hill flipping over and over--so scary!! Hours later we left with great memories, adrenaline in our veins, and a hole in our pockets (totally worth it!)!

We then checked in to Millenium Hotel Rotorua. Its central location was perfect: right next to the Rotorua Museum and just a short walk away from "eat street" with numerous restaurants, a pop-up carnival, and amazing treats at Lady Jane's. (Happy cows make good ice cream!)

The next day, we headed towards Taupo, stopping first at Wai-O-Tapu Thermal Wonderland to see the eruption of Lady Knox geyser. Later we wandered over the boardwalks, marveling at the many geologic wonders throughout the park such as sulphur vents (fumeroles), bubbling mud pits, and steaming craters. Most spectacular was the technicolor mineral lake called the Artist's Palette.

Before stopping to witness the power of raging waters at Huka Falls, we enjoyed lunch at a cafe while our kids played in an attached helicopter converted to playroom. In the afternoon, we explored Craters of the Moon, another stunning geothermic area. Wandering amongst the steam and craters was quite surreal; it really felt like we could be on the surface of the moon, though much greener.

We spent the next day at Skyline Rotorua riding the luge and had great fun speeding down the tracks on a perfect, sunny day! That night, I had booked a cultural tour and dinner at a local Maori village called Te Puia. We began with a tour of the thermal grounds and of their woodworking and textile handicrafts. Next we were introduced to various ceremonies of the tribe, including the pressing of noses, followed by a song and dance performance in their tribal meeting house. Finally we enjoyed a buffet dinner, including foods that had been specially cooked in a hangi, an underground oven where steam from the vents slowly cooks the food. Our memorable evening ended with storytelling in front of an erupting geyser, with a cup of hot cocoa in our hands. =)

The next day we headed to Tauranga, stopping to do a short hike at Okere Falls along the way. (I would have liked to have seen the river rafts plunging down the falls, but we weren't there at the right time.) We then drove onwards to Te Puke and stopped at Kiwi360, enjoying a wonderful tour of the kiwifruit farm. In Tauranga, we took the famous hike to the top of Mt. Maunganui and were rewarded with breathtaking coastal views!

After checking out of our hotel in the morning, we arrived just in time (yikes!) for my pre-booked tour of The Shire. Being huge Hobbit and Lord of the Rings fans, the film set Hobbiton was top on my agenda for the North island, and our trip to Middle Earth did not disappoint! We stood in front of Bag End (Bilbo's house), Sam's house, ate fresh strawberries from the vegetable garden, saw the 100+ year-old party tree, and drank a mug of beer at the Green Dragon. It was amazing to walk in the footsteps of Gandalf and the hobbits and to discover many of the secrets that made this magical world come to life onscreen. I marveled at the meticulous attention to detail that the director took in filming these movies!

In the afternoon, we enjoyed a lovely hike through the gorge at Karangahake, then drove back to Auckland and up to the top of Mt. Eden, an inactive volcanic crater with spectacular views of the city skyline. A fabulous dinner followed at The Garden Shed near the base. Then late to bed, in order to catch our morning flight to Queenstown . . .