First week in New Zealand

My first glimpses of New Zealand from the air plane were stunning and a preview of the spectacular sights this country has to offer. From the air port, we drove to the top of Mt. Eden, an extinct volcano where I could see all of Auckland below, including the bay. It is fascinating to look down into the crater and imagine when it erupted many years ago. We also took a ferry to Rangitoto Island. It was interesting to compare this volcano to Mt. Eden. Here, the crater had and abundance of different plants and large ferns where as Eden was mainly grassy. I enjoyed seeing Auckland from different points of view; with the exception of the volcanoes, it is very similar to other cities that I have visited.
On the second day I found everything in the Kauri Museum beautiful. It’s hard to believe that something so old can be so well preserved. My jaw dropped when I first saw Tane Mahuta when walking down the path in the Kauri forest. I enjoy canoeing so my favourite part of the Waitangi Treaty grounds was learning about the Waka or war canoe.
Sand Boarding was the highlight of day 3 and well worth the walk up the giant dune. Despite the long bus ride, I enjoyed looking out the window at endless hills and valleys on the island. It is amazing to think about how time has formed the land into its particular shape. I love that there always seems to be a post card picture bay just around the corner; whenever I put my camera away I find that I am taking it out again a minute later. The scenery around The Bay of Island and Hole in the Rock on day 4 did not disappoint. While at Russell, I rented a kayak; it was great to explore the shoreline up close.
The Waitomo glow worm caves were defiantly a highlight of the first week. The ceiling of the caves looked like a starry sky and the different rock formations were breathtaking. I love all of the forest walking paths that New Zealand has to offer. The trail we took by the Waitomo caves was one of my favorites; I was fascinated by how the river shaped the caves and ultimately produced a picturesque landscape.
It is nice to be at the University of Waikato and have a home base to get familiar with. The campus seems very similar to campuses back home. I am looking forward to going on more adventures and learning about New Zealand in the next few weeks.

Marie