New Zeeland: the north

After a month on the south island, Katja's parents joined us for a two week north island race. Highlights are less there than in the south, but distances still the same. I am sorry to be short now, but I am dying to write about Tonga. Completely different exotic cultures still captivate me more. Anyway, most striking was the thermal activity, resulting in geysers, hot mud pools and even a hot water beach (too hot to stick your feet in the sand). I also did some more river boarding (this is really way cooler than rafting, flying through the water and over and sometimes into rocks). Also worth mentioning were our dives: one in Wellington in 15 degree water (without shoes and hood) and one in 21 degree water on the Poor Knights. We saw huge sting rays there, which I would love to show the pictures off; however: I was so smart to stick my cord in the underwaterhousing. Advice from the camera repair shop: use your camera as a paper weight. So no pictures and on to Tongo then with a new camera...