Week 10: Return to Auckland

The final leg of my voyage, following the saga of last week, saw the surroundings going by a bit slower, with time to soak it all in, and time for reflection. I spent a leisurely few days making my way from Wellington back to Auckland, where this adventure began and would soon end. But before that, I will continue my narrative per usual.

13-April
Unfinished business in Wellington included a visit to the famed Weta Workshop, the fourth largest special effects and prop design studio in the world (the other top three are in the US). With my friends Luke and Ruth, we gawked at helms, swords, and armor from the Lord of the Rings movies, as well as weapons from District 9 and Avatar.

14-April
A final farewell to Wellington. NZ Route 1 rose from farmland to the Desert Road and the Central Volcanic Plateau, where now the mountains are covered in a blanket of snow. It was a brisk 10 degrees C, at 2,600 feet, before descending to Taupo.

16-April
I've diverted from my planned itinerary and taken a pit-stop in Rotorua, to catch up on the some of the scenery I missed last time! I visited Lake Rotorua and Sulfur Bay, where boiling pools of water and mud are right along the trail. I also managed to get out of town for a visit to the Redwood Forest trails.

17-April
The final leg of my journey, back to the beginning. Our bus pulled into Auckland in the early afternoon. I took time to visit the waterfront and sit on our hostel's penthouse porch on the 8th floor, to soak in the city. Tomorrow I head for the airport to leave NZ behind.