So back in November I saw an ad for a Black Friday sale that Topdeck was having. For those of you who don't know, Topdeck is a travel company who does epic bus tours for 18-30 something year olds. At the time I was studying in Spain but had no idea what the heck was coming next. I figured I would log on during Black Friday and if there was a deal that called to me, I would buy it. There were deals for Russia (too cold) for Japan (too intimidating) and then I saw the deal for me. $300 for a 5 day bus tour of the North Island in NZ. Since it was 70 % off I immediately grabbed my credit card and booked it that very night. It was one of the most impulsive things I have ever done but one of the best ones.
Our tour met in Wellington, some people had been traveling the South Island together already which was a bit intimidating but right away i found my clique. Four other travel buddies who were also joining the tour on that exact day (probably fate) And so for the next few days i spent all of my time with two Australians, A Welsh and A Canadian laughing far more than I had in weeks.
On our first full day, we hiked 15km through Tongariro National park, through some of the most stunning scenery I have ever seen. We passed by "Mt Doom" from Lord of the Rings, an active volcano, encountered an amazing waterfall and ended up at some stunning lakes.
The next day we stopped in Taupo, a beautiful lake side community. We indulged in an early morning hot spring session (amazing) before the adrenaline junkies went bungy jumping. Seeing as I can't justify paying to potentially plummet to my death i opted for breakfast and a leisurely walk around the lake instead. On our way to Rotorua we stopped for one last excursion at OGO. Zorbing, for those of you who don't know, is when you enter a giant plastic ball filled with water and roll yourself down a hill. It was So. Much. Fun!
The next day we stopped in Taupo, a beautiful lake side community. We indulged in an early morning hot spring session (amazing) before the adrenaline junkies went bungy jumping. Seeing as I can't justify paying to potentially plummet to my death i opted for breakfast and a leisurely walk around the lake instead. On our way to Rotorua we stopped for one last excursion at OGO. Zorbing, for those of you who don't know, is when you enter a giant plastic ball filled with water and roll yourself down a hill. It was So. Much. Fun!
Although NZ is known for its wild and crazy activities, there is also an incredible amount of culture here as well. We were lucky enough to spend a night with a Maori family (the native people of NZ) Iy was an absolutely incredible opportunity to immerse ourselves and learn more about their traditions. They put on a show for us where they sang, danced, and even taught us the Haka!
The next morning we woke up at the crack of dawn to go White River Rafting. This is not something I would usually be interested in but when in New Zealand right? It was a bit intimidating at first but so fun! On our last night we went to Hell's Gate Spa to relax and recover and treat ourselves to a mud bath. Even though my clothes still smell it was such a great ending to an amazing Topdeck tour!
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