Rotorua, Tongariro, Taranaki, Wellington - New Zealand

In Rotorua, we first went for a day of cycling in the Whakarewarewa Red Woods Mountain Bike Park. Then we relaxed at the Green Lake. Over the next two days, we visited Te Puia, Wai-O-Tapu, and Kerosene Creek. There are geysers, hot mud pools, and lakes in every color. We also got to watch some students at a Maori art school.

The next stop was New Zealand's most famous hike: the Tongariro Alpine Crossing. With icy wind and fog, we started the climb early in the morning. When we reached the top, we questioned why we put ourselves through this. But as if on command, the weather cleared within minutes and we were rewarded with a stunning view of the volcanic landscape.

Afterwards, we continued towards Taranaki with the perfect cone-shaped volcano Mount Egmont. Unfortunately, we only saw it on the way there, as the next three days were cloudy, rainy, gloomy, and ugly. However, two orcas swam past our camper on the coast. And we were able to admire the light festival in New Plymouth without rain.

In New Plymouth, it was time to say goodbye to Malvina's parents and head to Wellington. There, we visited Judy and Pete, whom we met in Africa. Now we're taking the ferry to the South Island.