Nov. 3 - Landed in Auckland and headed to Red Beach (30 minutes north) to our cousin's house.
Nov. 4 - Headed north to Paihia, where we stayed for 2 nights.
Nov. 5- Took a day trip on the Cream Trip cruise on the Bay of Islands.
Nov. 6 - Visited Waitangi, Keri Keri, the Wairere Boulders and Waipoua Forest.
Nov. 7 - Visited the Kauri Museum and returned to Red Beach.
Nov. 9 - Picked up our car and headed south to the Waitamo Caves ending up in Rotorura for 2 nights.
Nov. 10 - Visited Oraki Korako Geyserland, Agrodome, Rotorura Museum and the Maori Tamki Brothers Hangi.
Nov. 11 - Continued south to the Huka Falls and then hiked to the Taranaki Falls in the Tongariro National Park, ending up in Wanganui for 1 night.
Nov. 12 - Drove to Wellington, visited the harbour area including the Te Papa Tongarewa museum.
Nov. 13 - Returned our rental car and took the 8:00am ferry to the south island.

Nov. 13 - After arriving in Picton, had lunch and went for a hike along the Marlborough Sound. Then headed south to Kaikoura. Just before arriving, we came upon a group of seals on the rocks below the highway.
Nov. 14 - Went for a 3 hour hike around the peninsula, drove south through the wild inland route where we could not go faster than 50 km and arrived in Christchurch around 5:00PM.
Nov. 15 - Followed a scenic tour drive through the area around Christchurch and visited Cathedral Square.
Nov. 16 - Drove to Dunedin, stopping to see the Blue Penguins along the way.
Nov. 17 - Toured the Otago Peninsula, took the Nature's Wonders tour where we saw more seals and yellow-eyed penguins. Then drove south through the Catlins Forest to Invercargill for the night.
Nov. 18 - Drove to Te Anau for 2 nights and drove the 4 hour return trip to Milford Sound in Fiordland.
Nov. 19 - Took the Doubtful Bay day cruise and visited the Manapouri Power station.
Nov. 20 - Drove to Queenstown on a rainy morning and then on to Wanaka for the night, where the weather was beautiful.
Nov. 21 - Drove through the Haast Pass to the Fox Glacier, Lake Matheson and finally Franz Joseph Glacier for the night.
Nov. 22 - Drove to Hokitika for the night. Visited the Punakaika Rocks and Blowholes and the Hokitika Gorge.
Nov. 23 - Drove through the spectacular Arthur's Pass back to Christchurch.
Nov. 24 - Went for a hike in Victoria Park and flew back to Auckland for our flight home.