NZ Adenture - New Plymouth

I was coaxed by Mr Low into driving to New Plymouth from Rotorua on the promise of snowy scenic mountain views. After 5 hours drive, a movie at an old school cinema and a night's sleep at a pub with freaky bathroom (green tiles and shower curtains that reminds you of a potential murder scene in a typical movie) and springy bed, I woke up in great anticipation of a snowy mountain view that boasts of beauty like Mt Fuji.

Guess what I saw?

Where is the mountain?!?! This looks more like a tropical garden! What the!?!?

Being the glass half full kind of person, the only great takeaway from New Plymouth is....

SUSHI NINJA! Seriously, who would have thought ulu New Plymouth would have a great Japanese eatery?! Apparently, this eatery is set up by a Japanese couple who loved surfing and migrated to New Plymouth a few years ago.


Check out the yummy bento sets! We had dinner at Sushi Ninja the night before and I requested to eat this before we set off! Totally mouth watering! But seriously, to drive 5 hours to eat Jap food is RIDICULOUS!

Point to note: Never believe Mr Low when he tells you that there is snowy scenic view. Tsk tsk.

NZ Adventure - Taupo

New Zealand is a country greatly blessed by God. The spectrum of varying landscapes found here is amazing - subterrenean caves, rolling green hills, boiling thermal land, thick forests, snow-capped mountains, lakes and rivers. Geographical features which one would expect to find across lands of different climates can all be located here. It is as if New Zealand is God's creation palette or portfolio.

Given the land's diversity, lots of towns are situated around natural wonders in order to thrive on tourism. While Rotorau is famous for spas and thermal wonderlands, Taupo is known for Waikato River and Lake Taupo. Arriving at Taupo in mid-day, Mich and I decided to take a drive down to Huka Falls. There the sheer volume of Waikato River is squeezed through a narrow gorge and over a short drop. Inevitably, the huge amount of water gushing through the gorge shoots out over a distance to form a beautiful sapphire-emerald pool. Walking on the riverside walk, I paused several times to stare dumbfounded at the ever-swirling and ever-foaming water.

A little distance away from Huka Falls is the Huka Falls Prawn Park. Compared to the over-crowded, production-line-like prawning avenues in Singapore, this place is way better. Here families sit on the grass by strips of water and enjoy an outdoor prawning experience. One can fish for as long as one likes and the park will cook the catch for free. There is also an alfresco restaurant specialising in prawn menus. Mich and I didn't participate in the prawning though as we were on a tight schedule this trip. On our way back to our hostel, we stopped by a small hill to take in the scenary and caught the below sight. Here's my amateur attempt at a haiku (3-line Japanese poem):

The autumn breeze brings
a veil of soft rain

and an drop of coloured sunlight

Compared to prawning, Mich and I were more eager to try out the famed trout fishing at Lake Taupo. On our second day of stay here, we rented a small boat and rode the waves to the centre of the lake. According to our captain, Lake Taupo is larger than Singapore and has a trout population of 3 million. Although locals and tourists are free to fish the trouts, there is a law which requires trouts below a certain length to be released. Additionally, each person is only allowed a certain number of catches per day. New Zealanders really live harmoniously with nature, something which we have no opportunity to appreciate back home.

Within a few minutes, our captain taught us how trout fishing aboard a boat works. Basically much of the activity is automated, you let the fishing line into the water and place your rod in a holder. Then you wait for the anticipated twitching of the fishing rod. When that happens, you reel in the line and struggle a bit with the trout. Frankly speaking, I'm more of a process-focused person than a results-oriented person. Though this method of trout fishing is without fuss and effective, I find it too automated. It is enjoyble still but I would have preferred if there is more hands-on and technique involved. It just wasn't challenging enough for me to feel extremely proud of my catch. Mich, on the other hand, finds automated trout fishing very comfortable and thus, very enjoyable. Guess she's the kind of person who prefers taking in a beautiful sunset from the inside of a air-conditioned beach cafe.

Nonetheless, trout fishing - highly recommended to-do activity in New Zealand. The feeling of a fat catch in your hand is amazing. After we got off our boat, the captain helped to arranged for our trouts to be smoked and sealed. We then obtained an insulator bag from a supermarket and stored the trouts in it. For the remainder of the holiday, we carried the trouts from town to town in our car and transfer them to fridges at hostels whenever we can. Much later, when I returned to Singapore, I made trout cream out of the smoked trout and served them with crackers. Really excellant tasting. Best cream crackers I've ever eaten.

NZ Adventure - Rotorua

How else but to end off the night with a hot spring bath? Especially when it is 1 for 1! ;) This is Mr Low's virgin attempt on soaking hot spring. The apprehensive look on his face when he first heard that we are going for this activity sent chills down his spine!

At the mud pool, it was smelly as hell. For a moment, I felt we were acting out Shrek in real life, applying mud on each other's faces and bodies as if we are ogres enjoying mud like kids enjoy candies. Haha but for the love of smooth complexion, we generously slapped layers of mud after layers to our faces and bodies.

After 30 mins of soaking in hot mud, we were told to rinse our brownie bodies with ice cold water before we hop into the mineral water spring to chill under the starry night.

This is our humble hostel. Cheap and clean! Friendly people, nice environment. I would recommend it to anyone who is going to Rotorua!

Now, how can we not visit the thermal village in Rotorua which is famous! The pictures speaks a thousand words! Check them out!

Looks like your lime juice, eh? Tsk tsk...

Haha, this picture has Mr Low in a very weird posture. How come he has to put his hand so funnily, like he's flying? But then again, I guess everyone who is busking in my company will feel as though they are on cloud nine? Haha.

More cheesy shots to remember our NZ holiday!

Ain't this just majestic? Mind you, these are piping hot pools which can kill you the moment you fall into them. In some of the commentaries of some pools, there are actually myths of women who are actually killed in these pools due to some crappy soap opera content which I cannot remember anymore. Haha.

Now now, what's with that act cute pose?

Woohoo! Check out all that smoke! Perfect shot!

Check out my stylo pink hat and red berms, each for under AUD$5! Bargain man! Haha.

More holidays to come! Woohoo! Say Cheese everyone! ;p

Do you see me fuming? Haha!

Check out the limestone that has resided in the caves.

What's with that serious look on Mr Low's face? I think he still looks like a joker.

After checking out the thermal village, we decided to make full use of the discount coupons and check out the Rainbow trout park. The park boasts rainbow trouts (seems like something unique in NZ) and some other funny animals.

Did you see that disgusting gecko? One look at it and my goosebumps appears!


Ohh nice blue skies and green pastures. Throughout the entire drive which we have driven so far, NZ is surrounded by splendid nature pictures which any mediocre camera can capture and yet turn out to be a wonderful shot. That's how beautiful NZ is.

For now, we hit the road again, bringing along with us nice memories of our NZ adventures thus far, and looking forward to more action!

NZ Adventure - Waitomo Glow-Worm Cave

After a restful night at Auckland, it was finally time for us to embark on our adventure. Driving southwards, our destination was the famous Waitomo Glow-worm Cave - almost certain to be the first destination of any visitor coming to North Island due to its proximity to Auckland. The drive in New Zealand's countryside was a program in itself as there was never a boring sight in the immerse and beautiful landscape of rolling hills and green plains.

Upon reaching the cave, we signed up for a guided group tour. Our expert tour guide was an atheletic lady who seemed to be native to the land. She provided us with informative commentary on the cave's historical and geological significance as we walked slowly down into the bowels of the earth. Majestic and ornate limestone formations lined the cave's ceilings - sculpted by Nature's own patient hands. As I admired the otherworldly beauty of the Waitomo Cave, I marvelled at how distant I am from the office life back home.

Soon, we came to a night-black underground river known as the Waitomo River. We carefully got onto a paddle boat and ventured deeper into the cave on water. The gentle rocking motion of the boat and the pitch darkness made me restful and only sheer curiosity kept me from closing my eyes.

Suddenly, an explosion of starry sky greeted us. There were thousands of tiny glow-worms on the top of the cave creating a myriad of living blue lights. These "stars" don't actually twinkle, but as we sail down the river, the shifting curves of the dome above us made them seem like they do. The entire experience was a vision of us floating through Milky Way.

The Waitomo Caves mark the first of many wonders which we will visit in New Zealand but it's ethereal beauty was unlike any other. One day, I hope to return to this place again.