This year we decided rather than travelling back to the US to spend Christmas with family we would instead meet them somewhere. Steve's parents (who live in Alaska) were up for an adventure (and some warmer weather) so New Zealand seemed like a good 'mid-point' to meet at. We flew to Auckland (via Dubai, Bangkok, and Sydney - it was a long trip!) and met Steve's parents there. New Zealand is a big place and we were travelling in peak holiday season so we found a great travel agent who set us up with a full day-by-day itinerary to follow. Sandi at Amazing New Zealand knew all the right places to stay (at a good price) and told us which tourist attractions are a must see. We started in Auckland were we picked up our mini-van and got on the road first thing the next morning. The northern island is very green and lush and the scenic drive was a nice change from our desert home.
First stop on the way to Rotorua was the Waitomo caves. These caves are the only place in the world where you can see glow worms. Similar to fire flys the worms use a chemical to make the end of their tail glow. The light is used to attract other insects to them so they can be caught in the silk threads the worms dangle from the ceiling. Then like a spider the glow worms wait for dinner to get stuck in the silk. The worms are 1-2 inches long but it's only the tip of the tail that glows.
In Rotorua we stayed in a quaint B&B right on the Waiteti Lake. Steve and his dad did some fly fishing and the girls went into town for a little shopping and relaxing in the natural hot springs. We also visited the local nature park and got to pet a lion cub and feed the wallaby's. That evening we were treated to the Maori cultural show. The Maori's are the natives of New Zealand and have a very rich and unique culture that the are proud to show off.
The next day we were back in the car headed to Lake Taupo. On the way we stopped at the Wai-o-tapu Thermal Wonderland, which is appropriately named. We had no idea steaming rocks, boiling mud, and the smell of rotten eggs could be so much fun. 
Our next stop on the drive was Huka falls. This is an amazing waterfall not because of how tall it is but because of how much water comes through the rocks. 
The apartment we stayed in on Lake Taupo, Oreti Lodge, had a beautiful view of the lake but unfortunately we only time to stay for the one night before moving on to Wellington. 
In Wellington we caught the ferry that takes you to the south island. It's a very scenic trip.
Once on the south island we proceeded on to Christchurch were we got the chance to take a break and spend 2 nights in the same bed. This is also were we had Christmas. Most of the town was shut-down for the holiday so it was low-key and relaxing, which is just what we wanted.Next stop was Mt. Cook. It had rained on and off all day but by the time we arrived the clouds parted and we got to enjoy a nice 3 hour hike with a beautiful view of the mountain and it's surrounding glaciers. This is also where we got an up close and personal encounter with the local Kea bird. We came out of the lodge after dinner and startled the bird who then screamed "KKEEAAAAAAAAAA" at us. I thought we were under attack and grabbed Steve as my shield. The bird took off and we had a good laugh about on the walk back to our cabins.
The next morning we took a tour of a glacier that calves into the Tasman Lake. We got into inflatable rafts and zipped around the floating mountains of ice. It was very cold so I was glad the I had purchased one of the local specialties, possum cashmere gloves and hat. It's soft and washable.
After Mt.Cook we went to our final stop in New Zealand Queenstown. The first night we took the scenic gondola up to a restaurant for dinner. This was another day where it rained on and off all day but as soon as we headed for dinner it cleared up with a beautiful rainbow and we got an awesome view of Lake Wakatipu and the Remarkables mountain range. 
First adventure in Queenstown was to visit Milford Sound. We flew there in a small prop plane over the breathtaking South Island Alps. The flight took about 45 minutes but if we would've gone by car it would've taken over 10 hours to navigate through them. Milford Sound is a lush green area right in the middle of high snow covered mountains. It rains so often that 9 days without it is considered a drought. 
After our boat tour of Milford Sound we got back on the plane and flew to Glenorchy for a scenic jet-boat tour. This area of New Zealand is where the film all kinds of movies set in the mountains. There is one particular range that has been used as the Swiss Alps, Himalayas, and are the back ground for the Coors Rocky Mountain commercials (nope they aren't filmed in CO).
The next day we drove to a small town in the mountains called Cardrona for a horse back ride. The lupines were in full bloom (as they were on the whole island) and the temperature was perfect for a morning on the horses.
After horse back riding we went to Lake Wanaka for some trout fishing. Steve's dad caught a beautiful rainbow trout that he released after getting a photo op.
New Zealand was a trip of a lifetime and we had so much fun I'm sure we'll find a reason to go back. But the trip isn't over yet. From here we continued on to Australia but that will be the subject of the next post . . . 
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