Lost World At Waitomo Caves

This area has about 350 caves that have been explored & charted. Many more are yet to be explored. The farmer who owns this land receives a 10 year lease along with a percentage of each visit from the adventure company. A big hole in the ground worth a fortune and it will probably never go dry!!!
  Dave did the 4 hour dry tour. After communicating with our son Jason, we found out that he had done the "epic" cave tour in 1994. This involved inner tubing and more water involvement. Dave's tour was rated at a Rambo 6 , Jay's was an 8.
Noted celebrities to do this tour were Tom Cruise, twice while he was in the area filming The Last Samouri and recently the actor who played George in Seinfeld with numerous others in between.

Meeting our guide, Allan (center) a Scot who has been in NZ for 7 years.

Dry run learning to tie in etc.

The abyss

Walking the plank, so to speak, 100 meters down!

Just hanging around!!

Eight lines hanging down 328 feet (100) meters.

Platform above

Circle shows descent area. The man in the back ground is standing on the Jesus pulpit.

Last vegetation as sunlight becomes distant.

Time for the headlamp.

Some call the strips "bacon"

Glowworms.

In order to get up in the world you must climb 100 feet vertical !!!

                                                                                                                                                                       

Seemed longer than 100 feet

At the proper angle it's a perfect heart.

Topside all is well!!!

Taupo and Rotorua

Campsite in Taupo (pop. 21,000)

When we left Wellington, we looked at the weather channel and made the decision to follow the sun as we were feeling a bit sun deprived. So we headed inland toward Taupo and Rotorua.

And for our friend from Tassie, here is the rack of lamb done to perfection with the eggplant and veggies on the side. Of course a good bottle of wine too!

 

And unknown to us, the NZ Ironman competition was being held when we arrived in Taupo (pop. 21,000). And a Canadian fan to boot.

The Canadian flag spotted by the cycle track. And we heard that a S'toon participant had just crossed the finish line.

Small shuttle trip by boat to walk through the Orakei Korako geothermal area near Taupo.

Dave in the steam created by the boiling geysers.

The boardwalk looking down on the silica terraces with the river in the background.

Rotorua, population 70,000. This museum reflecting old Tutor architecture was the center of the town.

Te Puia, New Zealand's premier Maori culteral center. The guide was very gifted in entertaining us while teaching us about his culture.

And this is the largest of several geysers in the area. It erupts an average of once or twice every hour and can reach heights of 30m (100')

The above ground cemetery at this geothermal site!

Kia Ora, welcome to Tamaki Maori Village tour, dinner and show in Rotorua.

Parts of the village. The haka was performed. This is a Maori war dance and is also The All Blacks chant before their rugby games.

Our dinner was cooked underground with hot rocks. This meal was called the hangi. Polynesians call the meal a luau.

Ancestral meeting house where we were entertained.

The hangi consisted of chicken, pork and lamb, fish and mussels. Also potatoes, poi, salads and desserts. My favorite dessert Pavlova!! 

And just had to capture a better picture of the Pukeko bird. They are seen everywhwere. Love the colors and the white bob tail

Black swan primping in the waterway near Rotorua

Golfing on one of their geothermal courses