Auckland seemed rather ordinary, but it needed to be seen. We left there at 8-00am and proceeded south to Waitomo to see the labyrinth of underground caves and the spectacular glowworm grotto. After lunch we went further south to Rotorua and, in the late afternoon in perfect weather, I took a helicopter ride for over 1 hour across the volcanos Tarawera and Okareka, including a landing on an area of volcanic activity. This was a unique experience, truly memorable.
The Beast's Pen 