Thursday, January 3, 2013

Luge in Rotorua and The Great Ocean Road

TAURANGA, NZ:  

Today, I escorted a tour to Rotorua, the famous lake with bubbling sulfur hot springs.  Upon arrival to Rotorua, we rode a cable car to a beautiful scenic lookout spot.  To get back down the mountain, we rode the Luge!  These body-weight propelled carts zipped us down paved pathways through the forest.  To brake, you just pull back on the handlebar, to limited affect. Up the ski-lift, and repeat!  After a great lunch, we boarded a “Duck,” (amphibious vehicle).  Ours was actually used in the Invasion at Normandy in WWII !  Beautiful views and a hilarious Maori Guide.

MELBOURNE:
Along with the Amalfi Coast in Italy, and the Pacific Coast Highway in California, The Great Ocean Road outside Melbourne is considered one of the most incredible drives in the world.  3 1/2 hours of breathtaking views along the curving cliffside culminates in the famous "12 Apostles."  These lumbering limestone cliffs have been eroded by thousands of years of ocean surf.  The pictures truly don't do justice to the magnitude and scale of this landscape.  Check out the size of the people in the beach photo for an idea of the scale of the cliffs.









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