Taupo Skydive From 15,000ft... (Videos)

If you have a weak stomach, look away now! Best thing we have ever done in our lives!!

Taupo Skydive From 15,000ft... (Photos)

What was that? Throw yourself out of a plane from 15,000ft? Go on then!!

Waihi Beach Xmas 2008

After arriving at Waihi Beach late evening on Xmas Eve we cracked open the beers to get in the festive spirit, but only once we had pitched the tent and had a dip in the hot tub!

The next day (Xmas Day) we woke up and had a leisurely breakfast followed by a nice walk along the beach - we could tell it was going to be a scorcher!

In the afternoon we packed up a picnic of cheese and wine and walked over the headland to Orokawa Bay - a beautiful secluded beach. It was a strange place to spend Xmas but we had an amazing day relaxing and swimming in the sea.

In the evening we cooked a BBQ of lamb chops, sausages, baked potato, and corn on the cob. This was washed down with quite a few beers and followed by mince pie and custard (the taste of home!)

After ringing home and realising they were just starting their day, we went to bed having had a fantastic yet unusual Xmas day!

The Coromandel Peninsula

It was a long day from Trounson Kauri Park to Coromandel Town but as soon as we hit the peninsula we knew it was worth it. The last 50km were a stunning drive as we twisted and turned along small coastal roads before arriving at Shelly Beach campsite 5km north of Coromandel.

The day after we planned to do a minimal amount of driving so we could enjoy the terrific beaches and just chill out a little! Hot Water Beach was our first stop. Supposedly, this 'thermal' beach is meant to give you a nice hot pool of water if you dig a hole in the sand. After hiring a spade and an awful lot of digging we had nothing but a pool of cold water. Despite the lack of thermal pools we enjoyed watching the surf and picnicking at this lovely beach.

We then moved onto Cathedral Cove. It's a 45min walk from the car park to the cove, and well worth it. The beach had turquoise waters and white sands in the backdrop of a large spit and archway - stunning!

From here we headed to Waihi where we had planned to stay over Xmas.

Cape Reinga

After the boat trip in the Bay of Islands and an early call out to the AA (faulty aircon!) we spent the afternoon making our way up to the northernmost part of New Zealand - Cape Reinga. Again, we made numerous stops along the way including a walk along the beach and a coffee at Cooper's Bay. Finally, just before it started to get dark we arrived at Te Paki Recreation Reserve where we pitched our tent at a DOC campsite in a beautiful secluded bay.

In the morning we headed straight for the famous lighthouse at the end of the cape. We were afforded incredible 360 deg. views of beaches, headlands and seas. Particularly, it was amazing to watch the Pacific and Tasman seas collide and create huge waves in the middle of the ocean!

From here we made our way south stopping off at Ninety Mile Beach, Omapere, and the impressive Waipoua Forest which has ancient Kauri trees of which some are over 2000 years old and 16m in width! We camped in the forest overnight at the nearby DOC in Trounson Kauri Park then made the huge journey to Coromandel the next day.

Bay of Islands

After picking up our hire car we headed north towards the Bay of Islands. It was great to have the freedom of the open road and go literally wherever we liked. We planned to make a few stops along the way. Our first stop was Mangawhai Heads; a beautiful beach where we had a picnic on the rocks.

Along the way we stopped at many beaches and headlands to take pictures and marvel at the scenery but the next notable stop off was at Whangarei where we did a short walk to the waterfalls which were very nice but hard to take seriously after Iguassu!

Our evening was spent at a nice campsite in Paihia where we had booked a trip to swim with dolphins in the bay for the next day.

The trip was fantastic! Although we didn't get the opportunity to swim with the dolphins, we were lucky enough to see three pods together culminating in over fifty dolphins. It was great to watch as the dolphins followed the boat and played along as we made arm gestures and put our noses over the edge.

As well as the dolphins, the scenery was amazing; crystal clear waters, golden deserted sands, and lush green islands - truly a remarkable place!

Auckland

We arrived in Auckland after a 14 hour flight and the loss of a day (due to crossing the international date line) but were warmly welcomed by Tina and Craig in Papatoetoe. We stayed in Auckland for two days before we got our hire car and headed off on our road trip.

We made sure to explore the city but only after taking the passenger ferry across the bay to Devonport. Here we enjoyed great views of the city, walking and lounging on the beach, and a fish and chip lunch!

We would like to extend our thanks to Tina and Craig for having us to stay, we had a great time!

Bariloche (Ruta de los Siete Lagos)

On our return from Colonia Suiza we decided to hire bikes for three days in order to further explore the surrounding lakes and mountains of Bariloche. We had no idea what we were getting ourselves into...

Day one of the ride started well and we had a great morning of cycling alongside the Rio Limay. We followed the path of the turqouise river before passing through the Valle Encantado, where there were lots of impressive rock formations. The route was very scenic and the good conditions ensured we could enjoy the suroundings whilst also notching up 70km by lunchtime. After a sandwich and some mechanical assistance from the locals we left Confluencia for Villa Traful at around 3pm. Needless to say the afternoon did't go so smoothly...

The 35km long rubble road from Confluencia to Villa Traful was awful. It was rough, rocky and dusty - very demoralising. We struggled for nearly four hours in the scorching sunshine and when we ran out of water we decided to hitch a ride for the final 6km. Exhausted from the first day we had a quick dinner and an early night.

On the second day we woke up aching and tired so we were a little bit nervous at the prospect of a further 45km on the rubble road towards Villa La Angostura. Fortunately the road conditions improved a little and it was a much cooler day, so progress was steady, even if the ride was still a little bumpy! We were both very relieved when we reached the tarmac road that would lead us into Villa La Angostura – Joe was infact so pleased that he kissed the tarmac! After almost 80kms on the rubble road the final 15km into the town was very smooth and was a nice way to end another hard day. Two days of cycling had left us very tired, so we had another quick dinner with a few beers and then bed.

We were both really looking forward to the final day as it was tarmac all the way and the man in the bike shop had informed us that it was mostly downhill with a tailwind – he was very wrong. There seemed to be an endless number of long hills, and with the wind in our faces for the third day in a row, it was a very long and hard ride. However, the scenery was absolutely stunning as we rode along the shore of the Nahuel Huapi Lake and could look back at the snowcapped mountains behind us. We arrived back in Bariloche at around 4pm after a further 80km, with very tired legs and sore bottoms! We celebrated our completion of the circuit with two huge argentinian steaks and some lovely red wine.

In hindsight, the route we chose was probably a little ambitious (250km in total with 80km on harsh rubble roads), but we both really enjoyed the challenge and found the trip massively rewarding. We saw some spectacular scenery as we cycled through lush valleys, past numerous lakes and dramatic snowcapped mountains. It was a great way to see the area and was a lot of good fun.

We are now back in Bariloche recovering from the exertions of the last few days. Next stop New Zealand...

Bariloche (Colonia Suiza)

We arrived in Bariloche after a twenty hour bus journey from Buenos Aires. After spending five nights in the city we were looking forward to the beautiful scenery and enjoying the outdoor activities.

After a good nights sleep at Hostel Arko we headed an hour down the road to Colonia Suiza, where we pitched our tent at Camping SER. Our plan was to use the campsite as a base for doing some of the best treks in the area.

On our first full day in Colonia Suiza we set off early to trek up Cerro Lopez to the refugio. The path was very steep, but with each step the views got better and better. Once we reached the refugio (mountain hut) we were the only people there, yet we still managed to order spaghetti bolognese for lunch. We enjoyed our dinner whilst taking in the spectacular panoramic views of the lakes and surrounding mountains.

Our second day at Colonia Suiza was spent recovering and relaxing. We read our books and played cards by the lakeside and in the evening we were invited for 'Asado' (Argentinian BBQ) with our hosts.

The third and fourth days were spent doing a two day trek to Refugio Italia at Laguna Negra. The first part of the 14km walk was through the valley, alongside the river, and under the trees, before the incline started and the hard work began. However, we were rewarded at the top with beautiful views of at least six surrounding snowcapped peaks which overshadowed the lagoon.

We spent the afternoon relaxing by the lagoon and marvelling at the views. In the evening we enjoyed the friendly atmosphere and good food in the refugio, before crashing into bed knowing we had the 14km walk back in the morning.

After five great days in and around Colonia Suiza we headed back to Bariloche to prepare for our impending mammoth bike ride...

Buenos Aires

After the amazing natural beauty of the Iguassu Falls we were a bit sceptical about returning to a big city, but Buenos Aires certainly lived up to its billing as one of South America's best cities, and we spent five great days there.

We explored a different neighbourhood each day, covering the Microcenter, Recoleta, Palermo and San Telmo. We found that Buenos Aires is a very diverse city, with each neighbourhood offering something completely different. We did some shopping in the Microcenter, enjoyed a coffee in the upmarket Recoleta, strolled through the parks of Palermo, and explored the lively antiques market in San Telmo.

Notably, during our day in Palermo we had just decided to make our way back to the hostel when the heavens opened. Within minutes the roads were like rivers and people were wading through without shoes on and kids were rubber ringing down the street! After sheltering for nearly an hour we decided to make a run for it. However, when we got to the tube station it was shut due to the sheer volume of water that had fallen. We eventually got back to the hostel another hour later via bus and completely soaked through!

Our most memorable experience in Buenos Aires was going to watch Boca Juniors vs. Racing Club at the Boca Stadium. The stadium was plastered in colorful flags, the atmosphere was electric throughout, and the fans were jumping, singing and banging the drums for the entire ninety minutes. It was an amazing experience to be in such an intense crowd; to see them climb the fences and light their flares when a goal went in was unbelievable. The game finished 2-1 to Boca, and despite the away fans attempts to throw urine on us we came away from the game unscathed.

Still on a high from the game and wanting to make the most of our last night in the city we headed out for a steak dinner with our room mate Alan. Incredibly we had to queue to be seated at the restaurant despite it being near on 11pm. However, it was worth the wait, as we had a gorgeous meal to end our time in Buenos Aires.