Day 0: Arrival in Auckland

Whether it was the pilot, the food, or the tap water in Dubai, our second flight was not as pleasant as the first. Quite a few people ended up nauseated, and there was a general haze of confusion as our bodies were wrenched by the time zone acrobatics. We stopped in Melbourne to refuel, and inexplicably had to pass through customs and have our bags checked for illegally imported goods - even though we weren't spending more than 30 minutes on the other side of the gate. The hot, stagnant air of the queues certainly did nothing to help those who were already ill, and by the time we got through there were just minutes remaining on the last call for boarding. (Who designed this system, exactly?)

Though many swore off air travel after our final flight (unfortunately for them, we'll be back in the air all too soon), after it we had finally arrived in New Zealand. Approaching the runway, the isolated island's stunning and ethereal landscape came into view. This time the customs process was rather painless, although very scrutinizing - there were a few tents that had to be checked through separately, and even our shoes were examined for signs of foreign species or material that might be introduced. Protecting biodiversity is a serious issue in New Zealand!

We met up with Grant and separated into groups for the three vans. Once our stuff was packed, we set off - on the left side of the road (a curious sensation to get used to, apparently even for Grant!)

The landscape revealed the full glory that could not be appreciated from the air, as we began the winding journey south out of Auckland. Immediately visible on the horizon were the Bombay Hills, a series of volcanic cones separating Auckland from the rest of the North Island.

We stopped for a rest and a chance to take our first photos of the landscape from terra firma. Snack food was also an important part here:

A few hours of driving later, we had arrived at our first overnight stop - Waikite Valley Thermal Pools!

We got a quick look at some of the source springs, and a few people had a chance to take a dip in the naturally heated water (more on that later!), but for the most part we just hurried to set up our tents and make some dinner. (Sandwiches... mmm...)

After our exhausting, 3-day journey, we were finally here - land of ancient creatures, complex tectonics, and of course, hobbits.