daniel-liu.com

Latest Updates: New Zealand RSS

• New Zealand Adventures Part I

  7:34 PM on June 28, 2009 | Tags: New Zealand, North Island, summary, travel | Comments: 0 Read more | Comment

  I have listed some of my favorite posts regarding my time spent in North Island (that’s about as far as I’ve gotten in terms of posting). I hope you will enjoy them:

  • On the Road to Rotorua
  • From Rotorua to Auckland
  • Traveling Auckland
  • The Art of Zorbing
  • Exploring Auckland
  • A lazy Sunday afternoon in Auckland
  • Visiting gardens and Mission Bay
  • The First of Many Adventures in South Island

  
  
   

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• The Art of Zorbing

  3:12 PM on June 13, 2009 | Tags: New Zealand, rotorua, zorb | Comments: 2 Read more | Comment

  Riding in a Zorb from Daniel Liu on Vimeo.

   

• 1:37 AM on June 12, 2009 | Tags: Auckland, New Zealand, taupo, travel | Comments: 0 Read more | Comment

  Tired. I just drove from Taupo back to Auckland! That’s an hour longer than driving from Austin to Dallas. I’m exhausted. Need to sleep now!

   

• From Rotorua to Auckland

  5:45 PM on June 11, 2009 | Tags: geyser, New Zealand, sulfur, taupo, traffic, travel, wai-o-tapu, waikato river | Comments: 2 Read more | Comment

  I love hotels that have great complimentary breakfasts like this one. I think I outdid myself this time.
  

  I can’t neglect to show off the 13 passenger van we’ve been driving through NZ. My uncle happens to be the CEO of a university, which happens to have a bus. Nice!
  

  Today, we visited Wai-O-Tapu and waited for the Lady Knox Geyser to erupt. They pour a soapy mixture into the geyser, which breaks the surface tension between the hot and cold water. Gotta love the smell of sulfur in the air.

  
  

  Wai-O-Tapu includes a number of sulfur springs and beautiful lush flora. Sulfur springs don’t turn out so well on the iPhone, so I’ll have to upload more pictures later.
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  There was a giant pool of neon green water … I couldn’t resist.
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  At the gift shop, I couldn’t believe my eyes when I saw some hand-carved fraternity paddles (or cheese cutters).
  

  After Wai-O-Tapu, we made a brief stop at Waikato River, which supplies energy for 15% of NZ’s total power.
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  Looking at all that water made me thirsty. Stopping in Taupo for lunch, we found a little cafe called Friends that made a delightful roast beef sandwich with all the trimmings (mushrooms, salt, pepper, onions, and this great light BBQ-like sauce).
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  The drive from Taupo back to Auckland was quite a drive. Passing through I experienced my first NZ traffic jam that night – thunderstorm included. I couldn’t help but laugh at all of the “friendly” signs on the side of the road reminding me to relax and be patient. At least the scenery was pretty.
  

   

• About the trip Down Under

  8:51 PM on June 8, 2009 | Tags: Australia, family, New Zealand, travel | Comments: 0 Read more | Comment

  So I’ve spent so much time prepping for this trip that I have forgotten to talk about why I am going. My dad’s older brother and younger sister live in Australia and New Zealand.

  This is the first opportunity my family has had to visit them. In addition, my grandmother is turning 90, so trip turned into a family reunion of sorts.

  Here’s a basic rundown of my itinerary:

  6/9-6/16: Auckland and surrounding areas
  6/17-6/25: South Island tour, Queenstown, Manapouri, Lake Wanaka, Lake Tekapo, Mt. Cook, and Christchurch
  6/26: Back in Auckland
  6/27-7/5: Melbourne, Sydney, and up and down the coast.

  This trip is quite short for the amount of geography we will be seeing. I’m still thrilled to have the privilege to enjoy the beautiful scenery and culture.

  Not quite sure what to expect; I’ve really taken a low key approach with this trip and have done almost no research. More room for adventure, eh?

  If you are reading this, welcome to my site and please comment with any advice, tips, recommendations, etc.