Hobbiton Country

Feeling better after a good night's sleep, we collected the car that will be ours for the time we are here, and set off south towards Hamilton. We soon cut off towards the west coast and New Plymouth, which is where we are spending the next few days.

We are always amazed by how in New Zealand the landscape can suddenly, and often unexpectedly, change quite dramatically. As we made our way towards the coast, we found we were travelling through a land of rounded hills and deep valleys, real Hobbiton country, some spectacular limestone outcrops and eventually we were driving through a deep gorge following the river, until we reached the dramatic west coast. Annoyingly, there was very little in the way of stopping places, so it was not possible to take the photographs that one would have liked to. However, this one shows the rolling landscape and the strange shaped hills. And yes the grass and the foliage is that green and the sky that blue!

Still a little weary, we are in need of more sleep and time adjustment.