TEACHER NOMAD: NEW ZEALAND

Today seemed to go on for ever - but it was really fun.

We got breakfast in the hotel at 6, and the coach picked us up at 7:30. Good grief. We picked up a few other tourists and headed south. We drove through Otorohanga - just for a bathroom break. Then on to Wainomo Caves to see the glow worms. We had been here 18 years ago and there really wasn't anything here. A muddy patch of road lead to the caves. We didn't have flashlights, and the thought of marching into the dark to see glow worms really didn't appeal. It is now done up very nicely. Guides lead groups of 25 - 50 through the caves. The glow worms are really impressive. They're the larval form of a small fly. Once the eggs of this fly hatch (into the glow worms) the worms send down a spider like string, and begin to glow. Other insects see the glow, think they're on their way outside, and fly into the string - to be eaten by the worm. They pupate, turn into flies, and the process starts again. The darkest areas had ceilings that looked like greenish stars. The last stop on the tour was to go on a boat and take it down an underground river to see the worms - really nifty. We started our tour at 11 - we had been driving all the rest of the time.

Our guide and our boat at the mouth of the cave on the way out.

We had lunch at the cave cafe.

After driving around after lunch another 2 hours, we ended up at the Alexander Farm (AKA Hobbiton). I was sure I wouldn't like this - it seemed so hokey - but it was really fun. We had seen the Lord of the Rings movies, and the Hobbit duo, and Hobbiton had the movie sets. The details were amazing. It was a little like Disneyland mixed up with a wonderful botanical gardens. The tour ended at the Green Dragon and they gave us a free beer which really was quite good. I took a lot of photos here - it was very pretty. Working for Peter Jackson would not be fun.

The Alexander's have thousands of sheep - above - just a few

The setting of the "shire"

Charlie in front of one of the hobbit holes. They've made them permanent

The details are wonderul

Both of us - same hole

This tree is in the field that the fireworks were shot

Another view up the "shire"

In Bilbo Baggins' house - one of the few hobbit holes you can actually go into a bit

The green dragon pub seen from the field used for fireworks.

The tree above Bilbo Baggins' house is completely phony. It was recreated to be the right size for hobbits. The leaves are silk and hand painted.

Charlie in the green dragon

Me in the Green Dragon - I seem to be having a better time.

At this point our tour separated. Everyone but Charlie and I went back to Auckland. Charlie and I waited for a Hobbiton coach to take us to Rotarua. After another hour drive in a much less comfortable coach, we were dropped off near to our hotel. By the time we got there I was kind of ready to drop. Then we got into our room - WOW. What a shame that we're only spending one night here. We wandered out for dinner and found CBG (craft beer and grill). We ordered fish and chips. What showed up was not fried, but fish done to perfection. We both feel much better. Back to the room for the night. Tomorrow morning tours, and a flight to Queenstown, on the south island