So Long, New Zealand!

...we'll miss you.

Castle Rock

For our last hike in New Zealand, we hiked to the top of Castle Rock along the 309 Road on the Coromandel Peninsula. It had amazing views and was a good way to finish our long journey across an astonishingly beautiful country. While at the top of the mountain we caught a glimpse of the huge buildings in Auckland. It was at that moment we knew our NZ adventure was coming to an end.

I am currently writing this post in the United States. We arrived safely yesterday and are staying at Sarah's parents in Hawaii for a couple of weeks.

I Hate Jellyfish

I went swimming at Hot Water Beach on the Coromandel Peninsula in NZ. I was enjoying body surfing as the waves broke while the tide went out, when suddenly I had severe pain in my left eye. A jellyfish stung me right in the eye! It also got me on the chest, on my back, and another place I won't mention... Thank goodness the pain went away after about an hour...but I still hate jellyfish.

Tongariro National Park

So now my friend Brian can finally stop asking me, "So, have you seen Mt. Doom?" Yes Brian, we did. It is the big mountain in the third picture. The actual name of the mountain is Mt. Ngauruhoe. Mt. Ruapehu is seen in the fourth picture and was also used for scenes around Mt. Doom in the Lord of the Rings. Here is a link to what Mt. Doom looked like in the movie so you can compare: CLICK ME!!!

Wellington

Wellington, the capital city of New Zealand, was a very nice city. The surrounding hills and harbour make for a beautiful setting. Pictured are the Wellington Cable Car and the New Zealand Paliament Building. The building to the left is called the "Beehive." It is a structure that exhibits signs of suffering from severe 70's architecture...

Leaving the South

On December 30, 2008, we drove to the small town of Picton which is located at the base of the Marlborough Sounds. Picton was a tiny town with a big port. The ferries dominated the scene. We took the Bluebridge Ferry across the Cook Straight to Wellington.