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 from above... |
| Auckland
from below... |
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 It was
Auckland's anniversary weekend, which meant free concerts all over town
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 The
Volvo Ocean Race is an around-the-world sailing race. All the teams/boats were in
Auckland harbor the day we arrived. They left the next day on their 4th leg around
the world, from Auckland to Rio de Janiero around S. America's Cape Horn.
http://www.volvooceanrace.org/port/
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A group of Maori performed tribal dances and war chants for
us at the Auckland museum. 
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The Auckland locals were very friendly
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But not as friendly as the
Palmy North locals!
Sarah and Troy
Back to map
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The first afternoon in a reserve near their house we found ferns on a Mesozoic scale (tree
ferns ~ 8 feet across) |
Then Troy took us to Mordor.
Approaching the Tongoriro area early in the morning...
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| The Tongoriro crossing: 16km of lavascape 
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Mt. Doom |
