This last weekend was Lantern Festival in Auckland, for Chinese New Year. I wasn’t there long, just a quick walk through at the end of the night and I took a few photos. There were electric light lanterns all over Albert Park downtown.

The next day I drove down to the Nikau Caves, about 90 minutes South of Auckland, a little way South of Port Waikato. The tour was a 1 km. walk/crawl through the caves, including going through a fair amount of water. I had been on a cave tour at Mammoth Caves in Kentucky, back in the States, and that is the closest I can compare it to (although much more water at Nikau).  Compared to the Waitomo Caves, further South yet, this was definitely more of an adventure.

After the caves, I drove up through a scenic route toward Port Waikato and took a few photos along the way. I was listening to the new Wilco album, particularly playing track 12, One Sunday Morning (A Song for Jane Smiley’s Boyfriend). It is such a middle American ballad that it seemed odd listening to it driving through New Zealand country side, but maybe all country sides have a certain slow and meandering feeling…

All in all, it was a fun weekend with new and exciting adventures!