There is so much to do on the North Island, and we wanted to do it all! But with only 10 days left in New Zealand, we didn't have time to do everything. So we crammed as many awesome activities into the end of our trip as we could.

First up, the Glowworm caves...

Glowworm Lost World Cave Tour

After driving a few hours from our guesthouse in Taupo to Waitomo, we arrived at the famous glowworm caves. For those of you who don't know, glowworms are actually not worms, but insects that glow in the dark. Why do they glow in the dark, you ask? Well, it's not super romantic, but their excrement (poop) lights up in a green glow through a process called bioluminescence. Yes, that's right, their shit glows...

There are many ways to see the glowworms, from basic blackwater rafting through pitch black caves, to a more adventurous trip that includes abseiling into a dark cave (also known as rappelling). Of course we chose the more adventurous route!

We met our guide who got us suited up in blue jumpsuits, helmets and rain boots. He led us to the mouth of a very deep dark cave called The Lost World, where we got hooked up to a harness and cable system. The next moment, we were dangling over a 300-foot-deep abyss!

For the next half hour, we slowly lowered ourselves into the depths of the cave, an immensely beautiful underworld with surreal misty light shining in from above and lush greenery blooming where the light is able to reach.

Once we reached the floor of the cave, we were in awe of where we were. The way the light filtered in was simply magical.

But we didn't abseil just for the sake of abseiling. We descended into darkness to see glowworms. After breathing in the incredible beauty of our surroundings and posing for some silly photos, we started hiking into the darkest reaches of the cave.

Once we found a part of the cave where no natural light could reach, our guide instructed us to sit down on a rock, turn off our headlamps, and let our eyes adjust. About a minute later, the glowworms started to appear. And they grew brighter and brighter.

I'd always thought glowworms were fake, but we actually saw them up close and personal. The cave and abseiling were incredible on their own, but the addition of seeing glowworms in their natural habitat was the icing on the cake. This was one of our favorite things we did on the North Island.

Hobbiton Movie Set Tour

As a huge Lord of the Rings and Hobbit fan, Stephen was really into seeing some of the spots where the trilogies were filmed (ahem...dork). And what better place than the home of THE hobbit, Bilbo Baggins?

Hobbiton was originally built as a temporary set, but the owner of the land negotiated to have the set preserved for his personal use once filming was completed. Now hundreds, if not thousands, of nerdy tourists pay about $60 to walk through the set everyday! The place is no doubt a goldmine.

I have to admit that the little hobbit houses are incredibly cute. The level of detail is amazing - the props, the gardens, the wood carvings and etched glass windows - they all bring the place to life.

Stephen chopping some hobbit wood with a hobbit-sized axe.

There is nothing inside of the homes.  All of the interior shots in the hobbit holes were filmed at a soundstage.  Outside however, no details were spared.  Even the mailboxes are intricate and unique! — There is nothing inside of the homes. All of the interior shots in the hobbit holes were filmed at a soundstage. Outside however, no details were spared. Even the mailboxes are intricate and unique!

We made our way through the charming hills of hobbit holes and finally reached the home of Bilbo Baggins.

I couldn't stop taking photos of the adorable little houses.

One feature of the tour is a stop at the Green Dragon Inn, the local Hobbiton watering hole.

The set is extremely well-kept and was a quick and fun stop on our New Zealand tour. All in all, kind of a ripoff in terms of price, but if you are a Lord of the Rings or Hobbit fan, we'd say this is likely a must see.

Wai-O-Tapu Thermal Wonderland

We spent a few days in Rotorua, a popular spot on the North Island known for geothermal activity such as geysers and hot mud pools (people often complain that Rotorua smells like rotten eggs because of all of the sulphur). If we had to do the trip all over again, we probably would have skipped Rotorua and headed to the Coromandel Peninsula. We found Rotorua to be pretty touristy, overpriced, and slightly underwhelming.

Nonetheless, we were there and decided to make the most of it. We visited the Wai-O-Tapu Thermal Wonderland and experienced the eggy sulphur smell firsthand as we walked along trails weaving through colorful volcanic terrain.

This orange pool is called the Artist's Palette.  There is also a small geyser steaming nearby. — This orange pool is called the Artist's Palette. There is also a small geyser steaming nearby.

One of a series of mud pools called the Devil's Ink Pots (this photo is in color, not black and white).

The walk through the entire volcanic area took about 75 minutes. We luckily arrived in the morning when the place was empty, so we were able to take our time and enjoy the sights.

Frying Pan Flat, an eruption crater littered with bubbling hot springs and fumaroles (volcanic gas vents).

The incredibly beautiful Champagne Pool.

The colors were really amazing to see. This place is a completely natural and active geothermal area. It is sacred to the native Maori people and has been for hundreds of years, however it has very much become a tourist attraction. That being said, it was a really unique place and easy to reach if you are spending any time in the North Island.

Stay tuned for our final international post - we can't believe our trip is really coming to an end!