Waitomo

Have you ever burned your feet while walking on a beach?
Most of us have probably experienced very hot, sun-heated sand but it is something different that makes this beach in New Zealand special. It is indeed not the sun and actually not even the sand that turns the ground into a stovetop. It is the ground water that seeps through fractures in the ground and gets heated by volcanic activity 2km under the surface of the earth before it rises to the surface again. This water reaches temperatures around 60 degrees which, trust me, is enough to burn your feet.
But if you dig a hole at the right spot where the hot ground water is mixed with the cold ocean water you get a perfectly warm spa pool directly on the beach.
It was definitely fun to experience this one of a kind phenomenon, our earth truly is amazing. 💕
Waitomo is famous for its Glowworm Caves and deservedly so. We joined a tour where we got to walk down into the cave where we got to see some magnificent stone formations and even got a little concert to show us the perfect accustics down there. 💕 The highlight of the tour though was the boat ride at the end.
You enter a part of the cave that would be completely pitch black if it weren't for the millions of Glowworms that cover the ceilling of the cavesystem.
They glow in a turquoise blue-ish light and it truly is a magical sight. I have never seen anything like it and it definitely was a once in a lifetime experience and one of the many highlights of our New Zealand tour. 💕
On our way to Rotorua we spotted some ostrich and of course New Zealand's famous sheep.
Later that evening we went to a Maori cultural show. It was really informative and interesting and we got to see the Haka dance and other Maori dances. It was a great night with amazing food. 💕Read more