Christchurch, New Zealand: Days 99, 100, 101

January 22-24, 2016

Day 99: Christchurch Botanical Gardens, World Buskers Festival, Art Gallery, Sunset Drive

First of all.... the Wellington airport is amazing.....

Wellington, New Zealand: Days 96, 97, 98

January 19-21, 2016

Day 96: Drive to Wellington, Victoria's Peak, Rosemary Lamb + Pavlova 

I woke to the quiet hum of the surrounding Tongariro forest and shortly after hit the road. The sun lit up the mountains while the distinctive New Zealand clouds tried to cover them. Driving carefully, not over 80km/hr on my little spare tire, this truly proved that driving through the middle of the country is just as magnificent as driving the coastline. After an hour or so, now in cell service, I called the rental company about my tire. They arranged for it to be changed in the next town.

Tongariro Alpine Crossing, New Zealand: Day 95

Day 95: Tongariro Alpine Crossing 

I didn't set an alarm, but woke early in excitement anyways. If any shuttles were running, I'd have to arrive by 9am. I rolled in just after 8, ate a quick peanut butter sandwich, and checked in at the security car park - the only running shuttle for the day (NZ $30). She looked at me, knowing that I didn't know what I was getting myself into, warning me of the harsh weather conditions.

Bay of Plenty, New Zealand: Days 92, 93, 94

January 15 - 17, 2016

Day 92: Tauranga 

Feeling good about myself after trekking all morning, I decided to check out the 'Bay of Plenty,' as my father made a comment about how he hadn't been there. The Bay of Plenty is a region in North/Central/Eastern New Zealand, but there is also, of course, an actual bay bearing the name. The drive into Tauranga in search of this bay proved disappointing. I ended up passing through an extremely industrialized area, which no one seeks out in this country. The Bay itself was nice enough, with a bike path leading to downtown, overlooking the city.