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Travel Dates: November 13th – November 16th, 2025
Locations: Zurich, Istanbul, Singapore, Auckland, Waitomo, Taupo

They say the journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step. In my case, it began with a frantic morning in Zurich, trying to finish work by noon, followed by a rush to the airport. I was officially en route to the bottom of the world, and I had a schedule so tight that one delayed flight would topple the whole house of cards.

The Long Haul: Zurich to Auckland

The trip started with a small victory. At the check-in counter, while the staff were dutifully checking my NZeTA (the electronic visa—mandatory for entry!) and ensuring I’d filled out the NZTD (New Zealand Traveller Declaration), they handed me a golden ticket: a free upgrade to the emergency exit row for my flight to Istanbul.

Travel Tip: New Zealand takes biosecurity incredibly seriously. In the NZTD, I had to declare my hiking boots. If there is even a speck of Swiss soil on them, it’s a fine. I scrubbed them clean, but they still checked them upon arrival to protect NZ’s delicate ecosystem from invasive seeds or fungi.

The Istanbul Observation
Turkish Airlines treated me well—two meals and endless legroom. But the real entertainment was the layover in Istanbul. The new airport is an architectural beast with soaring ceilings, but the people-watching is next level.
I had to smile because the very first group of people I saw was a group of Chinese tourists. I recognized the look immediately—they had clearly just visited one of Istanbul’s famous hair clinics. They didn’t have the post-op bandages on, but their heads had that distinct, red, dotted “freshly planted” look. It was such a specific “Istanbul moment” right off the bat. I also saw some Mongolian families whose kids looked like they’d just landed on Mars, staring wide-eyed at the duty-free lights and the sheer scale of the place.

The Singapore Scramble
The next leg to Singapore was a blur of eating. Seriously, I had four meals in the span of two flights. I felt like a foie gras duck.
The drama kicked in upon arrival in Singapore. Bad weather forced us to circle the airport, and we landed an hour late. I had a tight 60-minute connection for Auckland and was mentally preparing to sleep on the floor. But as I stepped off, a ground crew was shouting for Auckland passengers. They ushered us onto those electric airport buggies.
Highlight: Riding that buggy like a VIP, weaving through the crowds for a solid 15 minutes. If I had walked, I would have missed the flight. We landed in Auckland around 9:50 PM with about a 20-minute delay.

The Drive South: Auckland to Waitomo

Driving Time: ~2 hours 30 minutes (195 km)

After a 30-minute wait and two phone calls to locate the rental shuttle, I finally got my car. Getting out of Auckland and onto the road felt like a relief, but the clock was ticking. I drove straight toward Waitomo. The drive takes about 2.5 hours, winding through the Waikato region. I had booked the 5-hour Black Abyss tour, and I arrived at 2:00 PM for a 3:30 PM start. It was tight. I had actually emailed the operator beforehand because the tour is expensive (322 NZD), and they were super cool, promising a refund if my flight was delayed. Luckily, I made it with time to spare.

Into the Abyss: Waitomo Caves

Activity: Black Abyss Tour | Cost: 322 NZD

This wasn’t just a walk in a cave; this was a 5-hour expedition into the earth.

The Facts: Ruakuri Cave
We were exploring the Ruakuri Cave, the longest of the Waitomo underground networks. “Ruakuri” translates from Maori as “Den of Dogs” (wild dogs were discovered living in the cave entrance 400-500 years ago). The cave system itself is formed from limestone that is about 30 million years old, created when this whole area was under the ocean.

The Descent
The tour started with a bang—or rather, a drop. We abseiled (rappelled) 35 meters straight down a narrow limestone shaft into the darkness. That is roughly the height of a 10-story building. Hanging on a rope in the pitch black is one way to wake up after a long flight!

The “LED” Lights
Once down, we saw them: the glowworms.
Biology Fact: These aren’t actually worms. They are the larvae of a fungus gnat called Arachnocampa luminosa. They dangle sticky, silk threads to catch prey and glow using bioluminescence (a chemical reaction between luciferin and luciferase). We joked that they looked like cheap LEDs glued to the ceiling by the tour company to scam tourists, but seeing thousands of them mimicking a starry night underground was genuinely magical.

The Underground River
After ziplining through a pitch-black gallery, we arrived at the water.
Geology Fact: The guide told us the river section we were about to enter was actually artificially dammed. I was wondering how the water was so perfectly calm and deep enough for tubing. They modified the flow years ago to make the cave passable for tours.
We jumped off a ledge into the freezing water (thank god for thick wetsuits) with rubber tubes. We floated upstream, paddling with our hands. At the top of the section, we hit a dead end—to go further, you’d have to dive with oxygen tanks through a sump. So, we turned around.

Then came the best part: we turned off our torches. We floated downstream in absolute darkness for 30 minutes, guided only by the “stars” (maggots) on the ceiling. It was meditative, cold, and surreal.

The Climb Out
The exit wasn’t a door; it was a workout. We had to climb up cascading waterfalls inside the cave, fighting the current, eventually popping out of a hole in the middle of a dense fern jungle. I felt like I had traveled through time.

The Road to Taupo

Driving Time: ~2 hours (150 km)

I showered, hopped back in the car, and drove 2 hours further south to Taupo. The drive takes you through some beautiful volcanic geography, but by the time I arrived at the Haka House hostel, it was 11:00 PM. The reception was closed, but my key was waiting for me. Seamless.

Taupo: Gravity Checks and Big Steaks

Waitomo was dark and cold; Taupo was loud and fast.

The Supervolcano
Fact: Lake Taupo isn’t just a lake; it’s the caldera of a supervolcano. The eruption that formed it (the Oruanui eruption, ~26,500 years ago) was so massive it ejected 1,170 cubic kilometers of material.

Round 1: Skydiving
I went to Taupo Tandem Skydiving first thing in the morning. I met a cool Australian guy, we got briefed on water landings (unlikely, but good to know), and up we went. The view is mind-blowing—you can see the curvature of the earth. I jumped, free-fell for 60 seconds, and loved it.

Round 2: Bungy & Swing (The Wet Pants Incident)
I headed to Taupo Bungy for the “Combo.” This is New Zealand’s highest water-touch bungy at 47 meters.
I stood on the cantilever platform. The crew asked, “How far do you want to dip?”
I confidently said, “To the belly button.”
I didn’t think this through. I didn’t realize that “belly button” meant my clothes would be destroyed.
Important Advice: The crew told me, “Don’t look up to your hands.” They meant that when I hit the water and bounce back up, the water from the elastic cord will rain down. If I look up, it smacks me right in the face. So, I stretched out, leaned forward, and kept my head tucked. It worked—my face stayed dry, but everything else got absolutely soaked. I had to walk around in wet jeans for the next hour.

Round 3: The Jet Boat (Soaked… Again)
About 20 minutes later, I was at the Jet Boat. I had to wait an hour, standing around in my wet clothes.
When the ride started, I realized my drying efforts were useless. The driver did multiple 360-degree spins. The G-force pushes you into the seat, and then the spray hits you. I got completely wet all over again. Between the spinning and the soaking, the motion sickness started to kick in. I was dizzy and nauseous… but apparently, not done.

Round 4: Skydive Number Two
Despite the motion sickness and being soaking wet, I still had too much adrenaline. I actually went back to the dropzone and did a second skydive. It would have been a third if I had time!
Since the dropzone is huge for fun jumpers, I asked if they were open on Christmas Day. They said yes—so that is officially my backup plan if I don’t know what to do over the holidays.

The 800g Challenge
Back at the hostel, I needed fuel. I bought an 800g steak (almost a kilo of meat!) and threw it on the hostel BBQ. Other travelers looked at me like I was insane, but after two skydives, a bungy jump, a swing, and a jet boat ride, I devoured the whole thing.

Next Up: I take on the Tongariro Alpine Crossing (where a Maori blessing ceremony delays us for hours) and raft down the highest commercially raftable waterfall in the world!