Kia Ora! It's been a day of solo expeditions today with Jim heading off into Whakarewarewa State Forest Park for some extreme mountain biking whilst I did a bit of sightseeing around Rotorua.

Did a bit of shopping first then headed down to Lake Rotorua. It's humungous! Unfortunately, it was a bit grey and drizzly so I couldn't really see a lot with all the mountains in the distance obscured by mist. So I headed off to Ohinemutu, a little lakeside Maori Village and had a look around there. Then I walked back into town through Kuirau Park, which is full of little fenced-off ponds, steam billowing off them from all the geothermal activity. Consequently it reeked of rotten eggs from the sulphur so I didn't hang about.

I whiled away my afternoon in the Polynesian Spa, a bath house at the side of the lake that uses the natural hot springs in a series of pools. Had a bit of a swim in the toasty warm waters then just relaxed, looking over the lake, before having a chat with someone I recognised from the Magic Bus. It's been a pretty ace day!

Lots of love x x x