Day 2 - Caves of Waitomo

Clint - As expected, we were up early and decided to make the trek south to do some "Blackwater Rafting" through the Caves of Waitomo. The sunrise over the Kiwi countryside was beautiful and looks like Hobbiton from Lord of the Rings. Very lush and hilly. We got on the first tour of the caves at 9AM, but it was COLD. Less than 40F, and we had to strip down and put on WET wetsuits. I thought Theresa was going to back out on me, but she did not. The journey through the pitch black caves was truly a once in a lifetime adventure. We saw rock formations, glowworms, and even tubed down waterfalls into the caverns below.

After showering and warming up, we visited the Waitomo Museum to learn more about the caves. On the way home, Theresa took a turn at driving, and I got us lost in the coastal town of Kawhia. We grabbed dinner at a local pub in Hamilton, where Theresa had Octopus and I had Wallaby, Boar, and Venison Wellington. We forced ourselves to stay awake until 9PM (5AM back home!) to try to get adjusted. Luckily, the jet lag doesn't seem to bother either of us until after dark.