Rotorua-Gisborn-Napier

After leaving the Hobbit film set, we drove towards Rotorua. Rotorua is known for its hot springs and thermal activities. Once we arrived in Rotorua, we quickly noticed this. The whole city smelled like rotten eggs, thanks to the many springs and the unfavorable wind. Since the smell was really irritating, we quickly moved on to escape the stench. We then went to Gisborn via Whakatane. On the way, we camped by the roadside, in the midst of the mountains. At night, the moon shone quite brightly, making it bright enough to walk around outside without light.

Upon arriving in Gisborn, we drove to the Gisborn Rockslide. This is a rock slide formed by a river, which you can slide down with a surfboard. Unfortunately, there were no board rentals, so we couldn't try it out.

From Gisborn, we then took a beautiful road, partly by the sea, partly through the mountains towards Napier. During this time, we covered a lot of distance, so we didn't take many photos. But it's really fun to drive on the empty roads, let yourself drift and enjoy nature.

In Napier, we found a campsite, the most modern and cheapest so far. But since there was nothing in Napier to keep us there, as there was neither wind nor waves, we continued on to Taupo. Again, through a very beautiful landscape.