Taupo - Rotorua

Any day that starts with a curry for breakfast is a good day. So we were intrigued as to what the rest of it may hold in store.

Once we had arrived in Rotorua, another geothermal hotspot, we ventured out to the mud pools we had heard so much about. Fully kitted with swim wear and towels we prepared ourselves to get a full body mud pack. Arriving at the pools soon brought our plans crashing down. It turns out that they are 800 degrees Celsius (yes that is no typing error), have fences around them and stink of sulphur. It turns out the ones you can go in are in a more controlled environment in the spas. Activity 1 failed!

Activity 2 - a walk around the lake. It soon became clear when looking at the lake that the woman in the hostel had got her words confused. There was no way we could walk around it in a week, let alone in a few hours. She obviously meant along one section. We embarked on a 3km walk only to find ourselves leading a procession of a Maori tribal funeral. We tried to pick up the pace and headed for the only place to hide, the church graveyard. Once the had passed, shouting and singing, we snuck down a little alley back into civilisation. Activity 2 failed!

Rotorua is a strange little place with a shanty/trailer park feeling and reminded us of an English seaside town. But maybe we have been spoilt by scenery in the southern island as the lake was not up to our standards.

A peaceful nights sleep was on the agenda as we had managed to keep a 7 bed dorm to ourselves. However our thoughts on the hostel were soon tainted as we were making tea. Cockroaches crawling over the plates....infested.

M & C xxxx