See how clean we are during pre-trip planning Irvine, CA save file: small medium large | Ug, putting in contacts first thing in the morning after a red-eye. Ug. Random gas station save file: small medium large | Afternoon hike Arai ti Uru save file: small medium large | This is a small tree down... Whiranaki save file: small medium large | Cold Shelter. Wet boots. Whiranaki save file: small medium large | Oh yeah, this is the business. Soaking cleaning after a few days tramping Polynesian Spa save file: small medium large | Are the eyes watery because of the vegemite or the lack of sleep? Rotorua, NZ save file: small medium large | I like to take pics of cop cars on my travels... Rotorua, NZ save file: small medium large | Studying a cappucino and frilly thing. Too bad it didn't taste as good as it looked. Napier, NZ save file: small medium large | Art Deco in Napier. The entire city was leveled by nature and we recreated in the 30's, thus the look Napier, NZ save file: small medium large | F*k everyone else, i need to take a good picture and will do what it takes to get it. Including pointing my ass at you : ) Ranitoto Island, NZ save file: small medium large | Post trip picture exchange. Not bad i must admit, but Tom can grow whiskers like a white person. Irvine, CA save file: small medium large | One of my most amazing dives ever. One of the most ball shrinking too. Kick ass dive! Northern Arch, Poor Knights Is, NZ save file: small medium large | Topside view of northern arch Northern Arch, Poor Knights, NZ save file: small medium large | Our 2nd time 'white water' rafting. Supposedly a 7m drop. Class 5 they said. Uh-huh. NZ save file: small medium large | Isn't he hot? That's me. Somewhere cold in NZ save file: small medium large | Shitty van + crappy home made gear = good times Waitomo, NZ save file: small medium large | My decent into the unknown. Damm i'm hot! And cold at the same time. Waitomo, NZ save file: small medium large | I can't feel my balls! Waitomo, NZ save file: small medium large | Real men rent sedans Auckland, NZ save file: small medium large | Funny sign, but unbeknownst to us it would haunt us in Patagonia. Near Tutukaka, NZ save file: small medium large | The country isn't like the southern california at all. Everything is tinytown. Anytown, NZ save file: small medium large | Driving away from Whiranaki, a stereotypical scene of New Zealand. NZ save file: small medium large | Yes, I really do go underwater. Poor Knights, New Zealand save file: small medium large | Given the number of unsuccessful tries by your's truely i'm surpised that we got this downtown shot of auckland. Auckland, NZ save file: small medium large | The DOC! Great folks, down to earth they are. They're known in the states as park rangers. Rangitaiki, NZ save file: small medium large | This tree had been cut, a lot of good it did us though. Most of the trees we came across weren't. We were the first people there in a month. Whirinaki, NZ save file: small medium large | Follow the trail is a little hard to do in a river. These orange triangles helped. Sometimes. Whirinaki, NZ save file: small medium large | Central Whirinaki hut. Cold but it doesn't rain on the inside. Whirinaki, NZ save file: small medium large | Yeah, we're americans. And we hike like pussies too. Here we are trying to keep our feet dry. We learn fast, shortly we gave up and just marched in the water. Whirinaki, NZ save file: small medium large | Um... you follow the trail markers. I'm going the other way. It's always an adventure with us : ) Whirinaki, NZ save file: small medium large | One of the few moments where Tom is behind me. He's usually kicking my fat ass. Whirinaki, NZ save file: small medium large | And this is a good section of the track... Whirinaki, NZ save file: small medium large | Do you see the little bump in the cliff face on the far right? That's the trail. Dont' fall. If you don't want to get hurt don't go. Don't sue, it's your fault if you fall down and go boom. Whirinaki, NZ save file: small medium large | The only bit of sunlight we got all trip. And who choose this rainforest? Whirinaki, NZ save file: small medium large | That's the Kiwi way! F*k those pussy americans and their technology. Whirinaki, NZ save file: small medium large | One of the best huts ever! Moerangi Hut, Whirinaki, NZ save file: small medium large | So we spend days in the water and i'm being an american keeping my feet dry. And with the last bit of water i get wet. Dammit. Neat little waterfall though. Whirinaki, NZ save file: small medium large | This bird followed us for 4-5 hours along the trail. I think he wanted to hump Tom. Whirinaki, NZ save file: small medium large | Welcome to New Zealand! Random Road Scene, NZ save file: small medium large | Yeah Buddy! This dude knew how to handle a sheep! Impressive... Agrodome, Rotorua, NZ save file: small medium large | How Cute! Outside Rotorua, NZ save file: small medium large | Me at the Buried Village waterfall Te Wairoa, NZ save file: small medium large | Maori night show. Kinda like an Island Night in the south pacific Rotorua, NZ save file: small medium large | Tom suiting up for a dive undefined save file: small medium large | Deluxe accomadations! Waitomo, NZ save file: small medium large | Tom at some raging waterfall... cool place New Zealand save file: small medium large | Rules Schumlz. Maybe i didn't see the sign eh? Valley of the Moon, NZ save file: small medium large | A little post grimey dinner Rotorua? save file: small medium large | The boat capt trained the ducks to fly along side and get bread!! Lake Taupo, NZ save file: small medium large | So we saw these cool rock carvings in the middle of the lake in all the brochures. Should've known, Mauri aren't known for their prehistoric use of power tools. Done in the 70's. Still neat though. Lake Taupo, NZ save file: small medium large | New Zealand isn't a country of wide open fields, it's a rain forest place. All those sheep covered fields were made by cutting trees down : ( Random road scene, NZ save file: small medium large | Downtown Napier Scene Napier, NZ save file: small medium large | We drove hours to get to this spot. And hours to get back on track. And all that was there was this f*king sign! Taumatawhakatangihangakoauauotamateapokaiwhenuakitanatahu, New Zealand save file: small medium large | One of the great tracks so we had to at least check it out. For about 30sec 'cause it was raining so hard it hurt!!! Tongariro Natl Park, NZ save file: small medium large | The location of the greatest cappucino ever!!! Every other starbucks worldwide just f*ks up the drink... Auckland, NZ save file: small medium large | Here we are getting artsy with the night shots... Auckland, NZ save file: small medium large | Tasty shot of downtown Auckland. Auckland, NZ save file: small medium large | Being a yuppie I'm not used to being treated as a vagabond, but here at the Strawberry Alarm Clock i was asked if i was going to pay for my food. We did look very grubby... Auckland, NZ save file: small medium large | Yeah, i'm hot. Rangitoto Is, NZ save file: small medium large | This is what I thought our backpack would be like. Boy was i wrong. Rangitoto Is, NZ save file: small medium large | Big Game! NZ All Blacks vs Aussie Roo's. It was a sad night in Auckland that night. Some pub in Auckland, NZ save file: small medium large | I always took the San Diego Zoo and Wild Animal Park granted until i traveled... Auckland Zoo save file: small medium large | All our our shit. Scuba gear, backpacking equipment, and general city clothes. Not too bad considering... Auckland, NZ save file: small medium large | VIDEO: underwater cave at Poor Knights Poor Knights, NZ save file: small medium large | VIDEO: Underwater scene at Poor Knights. Poor Knights Is, NZ save file: small medium large | VIDEO: Blackwater caving, tubing Waitomo, NZ save file: small medium large |