We started our second (and last morning) in Auckland with coffee from a local shop and a walk up Mt. Eden--- the trek that we napped through yesterday. Even with a storm rolling in, the view was gorgeous!
The second part of the day took us on a 3 hour drive through some winding roads to the Waitomo Caves. We booked the 'Black Abyss' tour through the Black Water Rafting Company (blackwaterrafting.co.nz) and it was one of THE BEST excursions I have ever been on. I highly encourage paying these caves a visit if you ever find yourself in the NZ north island!
Our guide was amazing, there were surprises around every corner and after 5 hours underground, they had a hot shower and tomato soup waiting for us! We abseiled 33m into the caves, ziplined into complete darkness (minus the famous glowworms), tubed/rafted and climbed multiple waterfalls. There were some friendly Canadians in our group and they will be sending all of the caving photos to us soon!
We've only spent 48 hours in the North Island but we are anxious to get to the South. A local gentleman at the top of Mt. Eden this morning told us that the scenery of the north island is breathtaking but it doesn't even compare to what we will see in the south...
That all being said, I would never recommend making the drive from Waitomo to Wellington after dark like we did. Tyler was a trooper and took on the narrow and winding roads last night to get us all here safely. The boys were convinced that we needed to make the 8am ferry to the South Island so here we are... In Wellington... In a parking lot... At 4:30am.
Apparently this ferry carries 400 passengers, 150 vehicles and is equipped with movie lounges, free wifi private cabins for a reasonable fee and dining cafes... Sounds terrible! (Bluebridge.co.nz)
As uncomfortable as the drive/sleep was last night, I am super excited about the adventures ahead and will be perfectly content as soon as I have a cup of kiwi coffee in my hand! It's only a 3.5 hour journey but say some prayers that the weather clears... It's supposed to be a trip with stunning views.
Next stop, Christchurch!
XOXO
Elissa
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