Ella's favorites

Ok, so we've been pretty non-stop with the traveling around and day-tripping everywhere, but here are a few highlights:
1) Waitomo glowworm caves were one of the most amazing places we've been so far. New Zealand has these glowworms that apparently exist nowhere else in the world who attach themselves to the ceilings of cool dark places, and then glow to attract bugs into their webs; the hungrier they are the brighter the light. The result for the onlooker however is a cave roof covered in a sea of what appear to be tens of thousands of tiny glowing stars. Truly awe-inspiring.
2)Rotorua thermal waters. Sounds about as lovely and relaxing as it was (for all that it was rather touristy.) Here's the catch: lovely, warm, SULFURIC waters. Clare and I stank. A lot. We couldn't even bring ourselves to go to a museum after bathing - it seemed unfair to the staff. It was highly enjoyable while we were in the pools, but after the two hour drive back to Hamilton we had to thoroughly air out the car and immediately figure out how to use the washing machine.
3)Birthday fun abounded on the 28th between Brent and I who (we recently discovered) share a birthday! Clare and I drove down to Napier en route to Wellington for a highly enjoyable evening on the farm which included complete celebrations with a family BBQ - cake and all. :-) Also of particular note: I got to feed a baby lamb on my birthday! Now, as Clare and apparently both of my younger siblings will not let me forget, I am officially old - a whopping twenty three years of age.