Australia & New Zealand Adventure Part III: North Island, New Zealand

My dear friends.I was going to wait a while before another letter,but too much has happened in the past few days that theletter would just be too long if I waited anymore...I am currently in

Wellington

waiting for my ferryover to the south island. This country is absolutelyincredible. So far, I have seen such a variety ofscenery that it has encapsulated some of the mostbeautiful places I have seen across the globe, butconcentrated in just a small island. The land is somany shades of green that you no longer have to fillin the potential spectrum with your imagination.Yesterday was a highlight so far....As you all know,I am a

Lord of the Rings

fan. Well, yesterday Iclimbed Mount

Doon

!!!!!(in

Mordor

, I think this is how it isspelled.) Mount

Nguaruhoe

, at 2287 meters, is aperfectly symmetrical crater, and as volcanoes go,is relatively young at 2500 years old. It looksexactly as it does in the movie. We were hiking the mostpopular day hike in

New Zealand

, the

Tongariro

Crossing, which at 17

kms

is quite a challenge in andof itself. I am currently still sick, I probablyhave bronchitis because I am hacking away at night. Ihave also dislodged two ribs in my back (again!!) fromcoughing; did this deter me from making theADDITIONAL 3 1/2 hour return trip to the top of the volcano, a35 degree climb of 750 meter vertical ascent???? Well, Ido need my head examining, because it didn't. Istill can't believe I made it; I can honestly say it wasthe most challenging hike I have ever completed in aday.The views were completely stunning; I have neverhiked in a volcanic region like this before. There wassteam coming out of the rock, the lakes were emeraldfrom the ground minerals, and the streams flowed HOTwater (yes, HOT water - How WEIRD is that????)Looking into the crater of Mount

Doon

was such ahighlight. And yes, I threw the ring in, sat andwaited for the eagles, but when they didn't come Islid down the mountain in about 20 minutes bypractically "skiing" in boots through volcanic ashand sand.....What a day...I was so exhausted I was literallycursing and screaming out loud about an hour beforereaching the bus; I didn't think i could physicallykeep going.....somehow the feet kept moving.Everyone clapped when I finally got on board; no,they weren't congratulating my accomplishment, they wereecstatic that I had finally got my sorry ass back onboard after they had waited over an hour for me toturn up!I am paying the price today. I can barely move.The rest of the tour has been wonderful too. Wevisited some incredible limestone arches at a beachcalled cathedral cove, gone surfing, soaked in somethermal hot pools, attended a Maori concert andfeast(my god these people can SING) - saw the famous"

HAKA

" performed, and drank lots of beer and sang lots ofsongs(well, I sang lots of songs)(well, except forthe mad spontaneous "like a virgin" moment yesterdaywhere all danced on the bus). There is a wonderful 60 yrold man on the trip called Larry from

Oklahoma

. Itjust so happens that Larry adores musical theatre;so I have been his favorite person on this trip,constantly relenting to his never ending requestsfor songs from the shows. Of course I am loving theattention, but I think the others are secretly alreadyplanning my murder.... In

Rotorua

, we visited

Wai

-o-

Tapu

thermal land,which reminded me of a condensed version of

yellowstone

national park. It was great; lots of bubbling mudand rotten egg smelling geysers. We have been fortunatewith weather after if poured for 24 hours after ourarrival (putting up tents in a downpour was muchmuch fun!!)Off we now head to the south island. Tomorrow weshall be in

Kaikoura

, and I shall be goingwhale/dolphin watching.... Will write soon.Love to you all.Anita