Even after seeing such a small portion of New Zealand, I am amazed with the diversity of landscapes…who knows what you’ll see around the next corner. The only guarantee is that the sea is always a brilliant blue and the land is always an intense green.




 

My next stop was the Bay of Islands. The Maori in this region arrived about 700 years ago, and in 1769, Captain Cook was the first European to arrive. This area was the first part of New Zealand that Europeans settled in.

A couple friends and I took a boat trip through the Bay of Islands…seeing some dolphins, a couple whales, and the various islands, from small rock formations, to larger in habited islands. It was a rough day on the water, with a bit or rain as well, but still well worth it.
  

 

 

 


 


Despite the rough seas, the captain of the rather large boat we were on took it through the Hole in the Rock…a little nerve wracking, as we were pushed back and forth towards the walls

 

From the Bay of Islands, I headed to the Coromandel Peninsula. It was rather cloudy and a bit rainy there, but the riding to get there was wonderful…so, I hope you aren’t bored of the NZ landscape yet, because here are a few more pictures…