After a night sleeping like the dead and a very stiff morning we left the area and drove north back towards Taupo and Rotorua. We'd been keeping in touch with Tom and Rachel knowing that we might again cross paths and sure enough after a very nice brunch in Taupo we heard from them in Rotorua. We drove the 75km north and met them about lunch time. We were also introduced to Greg and Andy some friends of theirs from home. Greg left on the bus back to where he lives in Herne Bay that afternoon but Andy stayed with us until the next day. They were all raving about a thermal river that they had been tipped off about and visited the previous day. We were as keen to go there as they were to go back so we drove about 20 km back south before turning off onto an unassuming dirt road down to a rudimentary car park. A short walk took us to what was promised, a hot stream, complete with waterfall. And hot it was, a little too hot to stay in for long but wonderful and a great novelty. Apparently the water itself is cold, but heated from the thermal activity just below the ground as it goes along.
One good soaking and a trip to the supermarket later and we were at a campsite/backpackers and cooking up a storm. The evening went by swiftly with the great company and a gruelling game of Yahtzee Katie was fading fast by 11pm and had to turn in (good for her these days!) but a pool table and a couple more beers kept others up till later. Needless to say we did not have the earliest start the next morning but once were soon heading off our separate ways, us towards Whakatane and them to Matamata where they would leave Andy before meeting us there.