After the Coromandel Peninsula, we headed to Tauranga where we stayed for 4 nights because we liked it so much there. However, for the first two days, we took it easy and didn't do much besides grocery shopping, eating pizza, and planning the next stops. On Tuesday evening, we climbed Mount Manganui and admired the sunset with a view of the beautiful town before going out to eat for the first time in a long time. (Special offer! :P)
Wednesday was even more exciting! We were able to get 6 last-minute tickets for a dolphin boat and eagerly stood at the harbor at half past 7 in the morning. However, things didn't start off so well because the weather in the morning didn't cooperate and we were freezing in our summer clothes. Additionally, there was quite a strong sea swell, and as a result, we spent the first hour and a half leaning over the railing... Apparently, the weather also scared away the dolphins, and at some point, the ship's crew wanted to take a break on an island when finally the long-awaited message came: a large group of dolphins was spotted half an hour away from us!! The mood immediately brightened, and the sea swell wasn't so bad anymore. Just as we reached the dolphins, the sky cleared up and made the moment perfect!
After admiring and cheering for the dolphins (you're supposed to make lots of noise and show joy because dolphins are curious), we were even allowed to get into the water with them! *-* The way it worked was that 4 people at a time - equipped with wetsuits, goggles, and snorkels - held onto one side of the boat and were pulled from the boat while the dolphins swam next to, under, in front of, and behind them. And on top of that, you were supposed to sing or make noises, which made the dolphins swim very close to you. We would have loved to stay in the water forever, but after a while, we had to move on.
Instead, we were allowed to snorkel in a bay, where we even came face to face with a seal. We also saw a piece of an octopus hiding in the plants, as well as many sea urchins, fish, and beautiful shells. We even spotted the fin of a shark, but don't worry, we were back on the boat at that time ;). After a pleasant and sunny boat ride back, a bit wobbly but all the happier, we were back on solid ground after about 9 hours on the water.
On Thursday, we continued our journey to Rotorua. Here, there are many volcanic activities and geothermal springs that we had to take a closer look at! That's why our first stop was Hells Gate. There, we could admire many sulfur lakes with temperatures of up to 142 degrees, and everywhere, steam and bubbles were rising.
Furthermore, we learned a Maori carving technique and even got to try it ourselves... well, Rome wasn't built in a day ;).
