We had a long journey ahead to get back to Auckland. We stopped in Taupo for the night but this time instead of staying in Base we stayed in Urban Retreat which was so much better with free wifi and a cheap bar we couldn't complain.

The following day we stopped via Rotorua and visited Rainbow Springs Nature Park which has it's own Kiwi Bird sanctuary. I learnt a lot about Kiwi birds and the importance of the Kiwi bird conservation. Most kiwi chicks don't survive in the wild due to predators such as stoats, so the Department of Conservation staff lift the partially incubated eggs from their burrows and deliver them to Kiwi Encounter to incubate and hatch. Kiwi eggs take approximately 78 days to incubate, and slightly longer in the wild.

After hatching, the chicks are raised to a ‘stoat-proof’ weight of 1kg before being released back into the wild. Kiwi Encounter also plays an important part in helping with kiwi research. The team is currently looking into making improvements to the artificial kiwi diet and lighting in nocturnal enclosures. I was able to see five Kiwi birds running around their enclosures and I am glad that my admission fee is going to help these birds and save them from becoming extinct.

From Rainbow Springs we drove until we were back in Auckland where we met up with the Canadians (Jess, Britt and Amanda) and Bex and Katy. We decided to have one last dinner as a family - we ended up in a Korean BBQ restaurant and all I can say is it was an experience and I will not be rushing back their anytime soon!

Bobbi, Jess and I stayed up to see Katy and Bex off at the bus station before heading to bed.