At least it's stopped raining!! Whoops, spoke too soon. Looks like the rain has followed us here. Boo! Still, at least there is a very big (and free) museum here in Wellington (NZ's biggest and best in fact) - ideal for rainy days!Thankfully, the rain only stayed for one day, so we got to enjoy some of the sights - the Botanic Gardens & Cable Car; The Beehive and Parliament House; and the views from Mt Victoria.We also met up with Ali's old school friend Dar...

Well, what can I say - the weather was nice when we arrived. Ali was even thinking of doing a skydive but (much to his relief) the rain arrived....and didn't go away for two whole days! TWO DAYS!Still, we still managed to see the impressive Huka Falls; watch the Aratiatia Dam floodgates open (and see a gentle stream turn into a torrent in a matter of minutes); got soaked walking around yet another thermal park; learnt all about volcanos and stuff at the Volcanic ...

We stopped enroute at Hamilton to see the hot air balloons taking part in the Waikato Balloon Festival. Some great designs - the best being Darth Vader. Take a look at the cool pics!Anyway, the first thing you notice when you arrive in Rotorua is the smell - this is one of NZ's most dynamic thermal areas and there is a lot of sulphur in the air!!! Just when you think you're getting used to it, a gust of wind sends a strong whiff your way, and you realise you have...

Home to the famous Waitomo Caves (Sir David Attenbourgh filmed here no less) and there equally famous residents, the glow worm!Took part in some black water rafting in one of the caves - this involved sitting on a rubber ring and floating down parts of underground rivers, while admiring the glow worms! Apart from the freezing cold water, it was all rather relaxing.(Did you know that it is actually the poo of the glow worm that glows?! We were only told this AFTER...

Only here for a day and a night. Again, not much to do here unless you like surfing - the nearby Manu Bay has the longest left-hand break in the world!! So there, now you know!As we aren't surfers, this didnt really mean that much to us but it looked impressive nonetheless. Still, at least the hostel had a very nice cat!