Start of Kiwi Experience

Were on board the Kiwi Bus!!! Bay of Islands ended up being a great experience. The last few days were sunny and we became quite close with the other backpackers. There was a large group of people from Argentina staying at the same hostel and it was sad to say goodbye. Our last night we went to see a band play and ended up going for a late swim in the ocean. The drive back to Auckland was looooooong! We stopped at a bird sanctuary and saw a large range of birds. Some of our favorites were a small dancing owl and the smallest penguin on the planet. We also saw a hawk being released back into the wild. Our bus driver was given the honors to release him but accidentally let go too soon and he thudded on the deck below....haha pretty funny!
Our hostel in Auckland was rated 5 stars! The kitchen was on the 7th floor with all windows and a balcony commons area.
We were picked up by the Kiwi Experience bus early the next morning. Our first stop was Mt. Eden, which is a dormant volcanic mountain in Auckland. It offers a 360 view of the city. Our second stop was AMAZING!!!! Cathedral Cove was absolutely gorgeous. It's a beach that can be accessed on by foot or boat. Its about a 40 minute hike but well worth it. It has been our favorite beach thus far. The water is a perfect temperature with a soft sand beach. There was a large rock about 50 yards away from the beach that we swam out to and jumped off. There's also a huge cave that connects to another beach. It was a great experience and a good way for us to get to know our fellow backpackers/driver.
At the moment we are in Rotorua which is known for its geothermal activity and Maori culture. We went to the local park to see hot steamy pools. Tomorrow we are going CAVE TUBING!!! We also are going on a zip line underground and scaling down 40km to see glow worms!!!

And so the adventure begins...