New Zealand - The North Island

We got off the ferry in Wellington, New Zealands capital city where we stopped for a few days then headed north towards some warmer weather. I stayed with a couple of my mums friends in a little town called Napier on the East coast. In 1931 Napier was almost completely destroyed by an earth quake and fires that followed it. It was really interesting to walk around and see all the different designs and patterns on the buildings which were all rebuilt in art deco style. Not something I'd seen or at least recognised anywhere else before.
From Napier I went further north through a little town called Taupo which is set on a beautiful lake. A short walk out of town there are waterfalls and hot springs flowing down into the rivers. It's also apparently the cheapest place in New Zealand to do a bungy jump but I decided to give it a miss!
Further north still is the stinking town of Rotorua. This is the most visited town in New Zealand due to it being full of, and surrounded by, hot springs and bubbling pools of mud. These give the town it's distinct smell - one minute you'll be walking along thinking that it doesn't smell so bad, then the next a huge wave of the sulphur smell will hit you and make you feel quite sick. I spent a day at one of the near by thermal parks and even got to see a geyser going off. The particular geyser I saw goes off at 10.15 every day. It's amazing how predictable nature can be sometimes, especially with the help of some soap powder! Yep as prisoners doing their washing on the land years ago found out, a chemical reaction with soap sets the geysers off. I think really I would have been happy to take the chance of seeing it naturally or not at all but apparently soap powder is what the tourist want so that is what we get. Rotorua is also the home of Zorbing - rolling down a hill inside an inflatable ball. Absolutely amazing! You can either do it on your own strapped to the inside of the ball or with up to three people not strapped in but with a bit of (thankfully warm) water in the bottom so you all slide about. It's the best fun, I hadn't laughed so much in ages. You have no idea where you are or when the ball's going to come to a stop. It's something everyone should have a go at!
Off the coast straight up from Rotorua is an active volcanic island called White Island. You can take a boat trip there and actually walk right inside the Crater of the volcano. I spent a couple of days in the little town the boat leaves from but both days it was poring with rain and very windy so the boat wouldn't go which meant I couldn't go either. Instead I went on to Auckland where I spent my last few days in New Zealand. After being 100% sure that I would never do a bungy jump again I found myself on the Auckland Harbour Bridge strapped to my friend with a bungy cord attached to our waists. This time we only had to fall 47 metres but it still wasn't easy jumping off. I actually enjoyed the whole experience and am very much looking forwards to doing another one at some point. I've heard that there is now one taller than the one in South Africa so may be I'll have to try that.....mmmmm or may be not!