New Zealand 🇳🇿 North Island EP 1

Описание: Summary
This episode follows a trip to New Zealand beginning with a nearly 24-hour award flight on Delta from Ohio to Atlanta to Los Angeles to Auckland, crossing the international date line and arriving two days after departure. After meeting up with a friend, the trip kicks off with a visit to Piha's iconic black sand beach before diving into several hikes in the Waitākere Ranges, including the Mercer Bay Loop Track and the Wai O Kahu Kitekite Track ending at a waterfall. Day two starts with a ferry from Half Moon Bay to Rangitoto Island, an active volcanic island, where they summit the volcano and explore old military sites at the top. The evening brings city exploration in Auckland — a quirky toy store, dinner, and kumara fries. The episode closes with one of New Zealand's most famous experiences: the Waitomo Glowworm Caves and black water rafting, capped off with a short bushwalk on the Waitomo Walkway to Ruakuri Reserve.


0:00–3:00 — Getting there: Award flight on Delta, routing OH → ATL → LA → New Zealand. Nearly 24 hours of travel, departing Jan 4th and arriving Jan 6th due to crossing the international date line.
03:00 — Meeting up with a friend upon arrival; heading to Piha Black Sand Beach to dip a toe in the Pacific.
4:35 — Mercer Bay / Waitākere Ranges Regional Park — roughly one hour hike on the Mercer Bay Loop Track with stunning coastal views.
5:04 — Hiking shoe washing station — mandatory boot cleaning before entering the park.
5:06 — NZ Tui Bird — listen and watch this distinctive native bird in the forest.
6:52 — Carved Pou (wooden post/totem) — pause the video to read the informational signs.
8:20 — Tea Tree — notable native New Zealand plant along the trail.
8:50 — Cosmic Noise Expedition reference/display.
9:00 — QR code scan for the historic Radar Station site information.
9:06 — Wai O Kahu Kitekite Track — beginning of the trail leading to Kitekite Falls waterfall.
9:10 — Shoe cleaning again — another boot hygiene station on the new track.
9:40 — Rata Tree — a striking native New Zealand tree along the trail.
10:00 — Elevated trails — discussion of how raised boardwalks protect the fragile native ecosystem.
11:10 — Kitekite Waterfall — arrival at the waterfall, the payoff of the hike.
12:00 — New day begins — Half Moon Bay ferry terminal, catching the ferry to Auckland city, then onward to Rangitoto Island.
~12:00–18:50 — Rangitoto Island hike and summit — hiking to the top of dormant volcanic island.
18:50 — Military site signs at the summit — reading about the island's WWII-era military history.
21:30 — Auckland city exploration — visiting an interesting/quirky toy store
~22:00 — Dinner out in Auckland.
22:19 — Kumara Fries — trying the New Zealand sweet potato fries.
23:30 — Waitomo Glowworm Caves and Black Water Rafting — one of NZ's most iconic experiences, floating through underground caves lit by thousands of glowworms.
25:15 — Short Bushwalk — Waitomo Walkway leading to the Ruakuri Reserve.