After leaving Paihia I decided to go to Hamilton, and use it as a base to go to Matamata (where hobbit houses are) and the Waitomo gloworm caves. I already had advice from Suzanne not to go to Hamilton, so was aware it was a non-venue, but ignoring Suzanne's advice i still went. Turned up at a hostel which was quite odd - it was run by these 2 old people, who's lounge was in the communal area of the hostel. It was just like an old people's home. Weird. See the photo i sneakily took! The old woman reminded me slightly of that comedy programme, can't remember it's name "are you local people? This hostel is for local people only" They only had room for one night, so took that as a sign i should spend as little time in Hamilton as poss. Decided the hobbit homes looked over-rated and i could do the caves from elsewhere, or see other glowworms. But my hostel room had just me in it which was a bonus. Also on the coach there was an Irish Kate Cronin look-a-likey, tried to take a photo but the photo didn't look like her...

So the next day i escaped from the old people's home (not smelling too much of wee) and got a bus to Rotorua - the most volcanic, geothermal place in NZ, which smelled of sulpher everywhere you went - it was like being trapped in a car or confined space with Utters. Booked a Maori evening concert thing that evening which was cool - lots of Maori dancing and haka stuff, then a yummy Hangi - underground cooked meal (my throat was feeling a bit better so made the most of my first proper meal that week without the pain of swallowing barbed wire) then a bush walk to see some gloworms - i was hoping you had to press their tummies to make them light up like the gloworm i had when i was little, but no such luck.

Went to the Rotorua museum which was good - it used to be a public mud baths place, and walked around the place wondering why people would live in a town with lava not far from them (lots of sheepy magma Faye...). The whole town is weird - there's steam and fumes coming from everywhere, bubbling 100 deg water in the drains and gardens, and sulphur lakes in parks (some over the road from my hostel which steamed up my specs). Went to Hells Gate which has mud volcanoes and bubbling lakes. Its the weirdest place ever, and didn't seem overly safe to me.... The mud volcano (main pic) said it erupts every 6 weeks or so over 5 metres, usually at night. USUALLY??? What about the times when it's not at night and you're standing 1 metre away from the 100 degree mud??? There was a bit closed too as the bridge had burned/melted away. Weird.

On my last night a radio station was giving away $5 tickets to the Samoan circus, which was a good evening out - lots of gymnastic twirling, juggling and balancing. And dwarves. The final act was cool, motorbikes inside a metal ball going round and round - 4 of them by the end. How would you even practise something like that??