This message brought to you by your local spelunking committee.

Dear Internet,

A lot has happened since we last spoke. I travelled from Paihia to Auckland, went to a dance party in the Auckland Town Hall, and then got on another bus. I've realized that I really enjoy being on the road. I love listening to my iPod and watching the scenery pass by. I also love the fact that I'm not in charge when I'm on a bus.

From Auckland, we went to the Coromandel Peninsula. We stopped at a lovely place called Cathedral Cove, where the ocean has carved out a natural cave in the rocky beach. (I promise to post pictures as soon as I have an Internet connection with substantial speed.) We spent the night in a town that I'm not going to even attempt spelling because I would butcher the name. I was planning on staying a few nights in said town, but after I got off the bus I realized that there wasn't much to do in the cooler months. So I got on the bus the next morning and headed to Rotorua, where I am currently. On the way here we stopped at an abandoned gold mine and, most important, Hobbiton. Oh yes. Although I didn't get a chance to go on the Hobbiton tour and see the little green hills that Bilbo Baggins and Frodo called home. But! I did get a picture of in front of the sign and statue of Gollum.

Last night I went to a Maori village where they danced the Haka war dance for us and then fed us a traditional hangi meal, which is all cooked in a pit in the ground with manuka branches. It was lovely. For dessert there was pavlova. I had seconds.

Tomorrow I head down to Waitomo, where I will see glowworms in a cave. I don't know why the idea of glowworms excites me so much, but it does. Maybe it's because I had a singing glow worm when I was little? I don't know. Also: caves! Who doesn't love a good, old-fashioned cave? Terrorists, that's who.

Fight terrorism. Support your local caves.

This message brought to you by your local spelunking committee.