Travel Day Auckland to Rotorua

Dairy and beef cows graze in open pastures

Today we traveled from Auckland to Rotorua, a distance of perhaps 150 to 200 miles. The trip took the full day because we stopped several times.

Along the way we drove through the New Zealand countryside. There were many cattle grazing in the distance on the volcanic mounds. Our guide did an excellent job of giving us relevant history of what we were seeing. 

Lip smacking apricot ice cream

At the first stop several in our group purchased items made of NZ merino wool. The products were beautiful but expensive. A lady's jacket easily exceeded $300. The rest of us bought some of the creamiest ice cream I've very eaten.

The countryside was pristine. No discarded beer cans, plastic bags, 

Long view of the New Zealand countryside

styrofoam cups or other roadside  trash. The waterways were equally clean. Our guide said that New Zealanders take great pride in  their country and don't depend on the government for cleanup efforts.

The air was equally clean. On a clear day, according to our guide, visibility is easily 70 miles. Today was a bit overcast but visibility was still outstanding.

Grass tennis court

We stopped for lunch at the Roselands where we dined outdoors. On the grounds were beautiful gardens and a grass tennis court. Other than seeing Wimbledon on TV, I'd never even seen a grass court.

Another stop was at the Waitomo Glowworm Caves, an underground labyrinth of limestone caves with many stalactite and stalagmite formations.
 

Waitomo Glowworm Cave

We took a short boat ride on the Waitomo River which runs through the Glowworm Grotto. In the darkened cave, the only light came from the tiny glowworms attached to the ceiling (no photos allowed). 

In the pitch darkness and quiet of the cave, the glowing worms reminded me of the starry Milky Way I used to see as a young child in the skies of rural North Carolina. The caves are known for this population of iridescent green/blue larvae glowworms, Arachnocampa luminosa, a species that exist only in NZ.

Tomorrow we learn about the geothermal activity in Rotorua and experience some of the Maori culture.