new zealand 2003 - day 2

We enjoyed a delicious hot porridge before setting off for the Waitomo Caves. The caves were nice, but small compared to giants like Carlsbad Caverns or Wind Cave. Then again, we weren't there to see the caves, but their illustrious inhabitants - the glowworms (Arachnocampa luminosa). These amazing little larvae emit light to attract prey. The highlight (get it?) was taking a boat ride on the Waitomo River through the cave in utter darkness except for the beautiful blue lights on the cave ceiling. It was magical! Unfortunately, I have no pictures of the glowworms because flash photography is not allowed (not to mention they stop glowing in the light). We wanted to tour Aranui Cave except we had a plane to catch in Rotorua. Nougat is slow to start in the mornings, but we had no trouble zipping through more gorgeous hills until we arrived at that smell, the smell of sulfur - the smell of Rotorua. Rotorua is famous for its geothermal activity: hot springs, geysers, mud pots. We found the airport with time to spare and snacked on New Zealand's famous meat pies for lunch while we waited for our plane. Meat pies are a savory mouthful of stewed beef and veggies in a pastry crust. Paired with some chips (fries), the hot food felt great while I battled a cold that had been budding since Los Angeles.

I had originally booked plane tickets to Queenstown for the sole purpose of getting us to our mountaineering class. What I realized after take off, was that we were getting an aerial tour of both islands with views of the Central Volcanic Plateau on the North Island, Cook Straight, and of course, the breathtaking Southern Alps of the South Island - a real treat. Once in Queenstown, we caught a shuttle to our backpacker's hotel. The super shuttle drivers are far more charming and polite than any super shuttle driver in Los Angeles! My cold was coming on strong, so we checked in, bought some decongestants, and had dinner at a hoppin' Thai restaurant. Queenstown is a gem of a place with over 140 restaurants, tons of merchants and lodging, it sits on Lake Wakatipu nestled between rivers, mountains and more adventure than you could shake a stick at. You could hear the partying all night, all morning.