Leaving Auckland, weekend on the farm...

On our last night in Auckland we visited the observatory and the SkyTower (very similar to the space needle in Seattle).  Great views of the city at dusk, and then the fog rolled in.  We had dinner at the revolving restaurant up top.

We left Auckland Saturday morning and headed south to Kauri Lodge for a weekend "farmstay".

Our guest house on the farm.

Our host Libby with Allison and Cameron - and yes they are sitting on a cow.  Turns out the New Zealand cows are very friendly!!

On Saturday we visited Hobbiton - the movie set where Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit were filmed. Cameron is a huge fan so this was an exciting morning. The landscape and set creation are extraordinary! Cameron has me now convinced that I need to watch one of these films.

In the afternoon, we visited Waitomo Cave to see glowworms and also Ruakuri cave. 

A boat ride on an underground river, lit by glowworms, is the highlight of Waitomo.

On Sunday, we'll leave the farm and head to Wellington, on the far south tip of the North island - New Zealand's capital city.