Glowworms - keine Gluehwuermchen

On the way to Rotorua we stopped by the Waitomo (Wai=water, tomo=hole) Caves. Not the direct way, I know, but a good one. Equipped with the oldest wet suits i have ever seen we walked through the cold caves. They are not very exciting referring the stalactits and stalacmits. But as you go, crawl, swim, float and jump through the cave it becomes an adventure. Turning off the flash lights we found hundreds of glowworms sticking on the ceiling between their own strands they use for catching insects. this small whatevers are light and transparent worms with a luminescent top.
What you wouldn't believe is the beautiness of the nature around the entrance and the exit of the cave. You feel like in the middle of the "Lord of the Rings". And there are 365 of them in this area.

After discovering the darkness of the depth we were about to discover the smell of the depth. In

Rotorua, a small town, is the earth's crust very thin. Stinky steam comes out of several holes althrough the city. The Poliynesian Spa gave us a relaxing time and energy to our body.
Next day we should have much luck. First we visited Wai-Te-Po or the Lady Knox Geysyr. Colourful and steamy holes in a wonderful nature surrounding made us walking and talking through the park.
Half an hour before Te-Puia, the second geysyr, was closing we arrived there and asked for a short entrance. We were really lucky as the geysyr started to spit shortly before we had to leave the other park. And it was lasting more than 20 minutes which was very unusual... and an awesome experience!!!


After a stinky day in Rotorua we were driving the long way down to Wellington stopping by my former colleague Tony close to Porirua. The same night we took the ferry to Picton on the South Island and were lodging in a cuddly hostel feeling like in the middle of a family in a ski hut.

The next day, another beautiful day, whale watching in Kaikoura was already booked. The much bad luck I had with my backpack in Fiji, the much good luck we have with the weather at the right time and the number of whales we saw: about 30 sperm whales showed us their nose and back - and tail (it's a sperm whale, but i am talking about the backtail, guys) when diving into the depth of the sea.