New Zealand

We've a long journey ahead of us today. Over 25 hours on a plane to New Zealand!

Where will you stop along the way? You could stop in the UAE, maybe stay a night or two in Dubai. Or what about Asia? Have a holiday in Thailand.

We are going to start in the South Island as I started many years ago. However you will travel from the comfort of your home, I travelled by car and slept in a tent every night!

New Zealand

New Zealand is divided into two islands, the North Island and the South Island. The capital Auckland is in the North Island and you can travel between the two islands by ferry.

New Zealand's climate in the South Island is very similar to Ireland and as you can see in the map there is lots to see and do!

Christchurch

Christchurch is a beautiful city and famous for many reasons but most recently for the terrible earthquake that occurred in 2011. This was so bad that much of the city had to be rebuilt. In fact some people from Eyrecourt moved to New Zealand to help with the rebuilding! Earthquakes are very common in New Zealand, just a few weeks ago the New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern gave a press conference in the middle of one! So what causes these earthquakes?

Queenstown

Time to shake ourselves up and not by experiencing an earthquake! We're going to Queenstown, the adventure capital of New Zealand and possibly the world. Did you ever want to bungee jump? Or sky dive? Or any other crazy feats? This is the place to do it!

Sit back, hold onto your seat while we bungy off "The ledge" at Nevis, Queenstown. It is the third highest bungy jump in the world and it is 134 m high. Would you be nervous? Would you dive or have to be pushed?!

Franz Joseph Glacier

Are you ready for some ice-climbing? It's like rock climbing but on ice, on glaciers to specific. First of all lets learn about glaciers and then take a hike on the Franz Joseph Glacier.

Glacier Facts for Kids - Science for KidsWrap up warm, and get ready to read some awesome facts about glaciers. We hope this helps you with your school work or even just to become a glacier king of knowledge. What are glaciers? They are huge masses of ice and they ‘flow’ just like rivers, but a LOT slower. They certainly don’t form … <p class="link-more"><a href="https://www.scienceforkidsclub.com/glaciers.html" class="more-link">Continue reading<span class="screen-reader-text"> "Interesting Facts about Glaciers for Kids"</span></a></p>

Time to catch the ferry to the North Island!

Lake Taupo

There is only way to properly see Lake Taupo and that's on a skydive! I never had the courage for a bungee jump but I did skydive here. Let's watch this skydive video and take in the views!

Waitomo Glow Worm Caves

The Waitomo Glow Worm caves are amazing. This next video explains what Glow worms are and how they exist. You can take guided trips to see the glow worms. The only problem is, the caves are full of water. You can "black water" raft the caves. Probably called "black water" because you are rafting in darkness. I did this trip a long time ago before there were waterproof Go-pros so I found this second video on Youtube. It's a really cool, sometimes scary experience but there's an expert guide leading the way.

Rotarua

Our final stop today is Rotarua. This city is full of culture and when you visit New Zealand this is where you go to learn all about the Maori culture. When we camped in Rotarua, the floor of our tent was roasting hot, like a heater or a the cylinder in the hot press! This is because there is a lot of volcanic activity in that area. There are lots of hot springs in the rivers and lakes which were really relaxing to sit into. Like a natural Jacuzzi!