SkyWalk, Rotorua, and Waitomo Glowworms Caves
This is probably my biggest tourist-y post to-date! Not bad for being in New Zealand now for more than a month… Hard to actually say that and know it will be published for everyone to read. But that is a separate post, I suppose.
I’m going to keep the text to a minimum here so that you all can admire the photos and scenery - much like I did when I was living these experiences!
August 28, 2022
After a morning of helping out at a volunteer day for BabyLoss NZ and a prior engagement getting canceled, I found myself with a free, beautiful Sunday afternoon. I decided that I had to make the most of it, especially since I don’t actually have much time left in Auckland. I made my way to the SkyTower (photo from afar below from a different day) to get a different perspective on the place I’ve called home for the past month and change.
I was all signed up to complete the SkyWalk at 3pm with a group of 5 business to round out our fully-booked group for the experience. We waited on some benches as folks more brave than I walked up, dawn their snazzy orange jumpsuits and harnesses, and were lead to the elevators to the top where they would be jumping!
Eventually it was our turn to make it into the locker room to store our belongings in tiny cubbies for the next two hours while we put on our own fancy jumpsuits and harness for our adventure (slightly less courage required in my opinion). As we shoved our stuff into lockers, our guide went over some basics about the experience and then some prerequisites we must complete before we began. One of those was a breathalyzer test. According to them, there is a limit to the amount of “liquid courage” allowed to safely complete the activity. My buddies approached the handheld machine first, sheepishly admitting that they each had a few beers beforehand. The first round test could only indicate if you had any detectable alcohol on your breath. I, of course, passed. And my friends… did not. The second round test gave a numerical value. The limit to complete the SkyWalk is 400 micrograms. The guys agreed to do the second test to see if they might still be eligible. Dude #1: 450 micrograms. Dude #2: 800 micrograms. They stopped testing after that. And, decided that guy #2 would not be the one driving them home that evening… They were offered to jump off the building rather than walk around it, but they declined and decided to cut their losses and head to the SkyCity Casino. And bar.
So, I really got the best experience possible! I made sure to get the photos and videos of me up 629 feet off the ground on a 1.2-meter wide platform, too.
Chris and I had a fairly casual conversation about weekend plans, my fellowship, the differences between NZ and the US, etc. for being rigged up to the outside of the tallest free-standing building in the Southern Hemisphere. It sure is an experience that I won’t forget!
Afterwards, I explored the observation deck a bit and took a seat with the most beautiful seat. And, tried on my cool new hat!
August 31, 2022
Well this Wednesday I found myself with another free day - no meetings, observations, or other obligations on my calendar. Again, I decided to take advantage of the day and make full use of the time I have left on the north island of New Zealand before I leave. So, several weeks back, after seeing this scheduling anomaly, I booked a full day tour leaving from Auckland that brought me to Rotorua and the Waitomo Glowworm Caves.
I had to get up before 5am to be able to get ready and eat a bit of food and make my way to the CBD to catch my minibus at 6:30am. My original plan was to catch the earliest bus that leaves from right outside where I was staying to get to the pick-up spot in the nick of time. Luckily, though, the woman I am staying with is also an early-riser and offered to drop me off so I didn’t have to take the bus in the dark before the sun came up. During the first leg of my journey, I was joined by 3 other Americans (2 from New York, 1 for Indiana) who were all getting dropped off at Hobbiton as their first stop. This was an option for me too, but, (I know this will ruffle some feathers) as someone who has never watched any of The Lord of the Rings movies and likely won’t, I felt I could make better use of my time elsewhere.
So, my first stop was Rotorua! Along the way, we picked up a young woman visiting from Germany who joined me. We started with some sight-seeing around the town.
Then, we went to Te Puia, to check out the Pōhutu geyser (largest geyser in the Southern Hemisphere), see some kiwi birds in the conservation center (unfortunately they are a sensitive wee creature, so no pictures), and the Māori Arts and Crafts Institute.
After the tour was complete, the Hobbiton group met us at Te Puia for a fantastic chicken hangi lunch with the geyser for our view. Then my neighbor from Indiana and I were off to Waitomo. He slept the whole 2-hour drive. I took pictures out the van windows.
Again, glowworms are sensitive, so I don’t have pictures from this experience. But, it was fantastic and any photos wouldn’t have done the breathtaking views justice. You’ll just have to make a trip there to experience it for yourself. I did get a few shots and a video before departing for the trip home, though.
The day ended when I made it back to where I am staying at 8pm, ate a very poorly thrown together dinner (which I shoveled into my mouth), and went to bed before I passed out standing up!
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