Reprise - Glow worms and hot pools

Posted from Rotorua by Daryl, 22 Jan 09 at 01:46

After sorting the domestics (mainly the Fiji debacle) we visited a Maori village and watched the welcoming ceremony and a show involving much sticking out of tongues and girls slapping themselves with plastic balls to make music. We also saw Kiwi birds (equally silly, with their round wingless bodies and long pointy beaks).

The Waitomo caves were fun. We caught an underground boat which floated through deep caves where the roofs were studded with a million glow worms. Glow worms don't have a nice life. They are the larval stage of an insect and live for nine months in their glowing away outfits before turning into insects, which then die of starvation as they have no mouths. They only live three days in which they have a quick sex life to perpetuate the species and then they've had it.

We drove round the beautiful Coromandel Peninsular which was a series of breathtaking beaches and discovered The Hot Pool Beach. We joined the crowds of people who gather at low tide to dig deep pools in the sand. These fill with hot water from the hot water springs and we all happily soaked in them while lying in the sun. When we became too hot we cooled off in the sea. Tonight we are staying at a beachside campsite in Aukland which we'll explore tomorrow before flying to Fiji in the evening. Apparently Fiji has now dried out and is open to visitors.

We are both sad to be leaving NZ, not just the scenery, the people, the wildlife, but also our little camper van. Its been great. We really were Happy Campers