Nelson

Next stop on route was Nelson where we were going to stay with my dad's sister and her husband, Jan and Bob for a few days.

Staying with locals really helps to get a feel for a place and it was nice to have a bit longer to explore one area.

Our three favourite things however were...

Wellington

From Rotorua we headed south to Wellington, the capital where we were going to be for my 31st birthday.

Stinky Rotorua

 

From Bay of Islands we moved down to the centre of north island to Rotorua, an area famed for its Maori culture and thermal activity. It is also quite near to the Hobbiton movie set from Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit.

 

Bay of Islands

After the city lights of Auckland we headed up for a few days in the Bay of Islands (BoI), at the top of north island to undertake some more 'beach time' and spend some time around the islands.