Hamilton and New Years

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After the attractions at Rotorua we drove to Hamilton, turned up at a YWCA...the lonely planet assured us it wasn't a convent but it was an odd hostel! Luckily they only had one single bed left and it was in the middle of nowhere too so good we moved on and found a place in the lonely planet that was actually on the main strip through town.....it was described as eyrie and it said the communal lounge might be trying for nursing home chic but we went with it...said it was clean too :-) Parked the car down a side street a couple of blocks away and went up a flight of stairs as you would going to a flat above a shop. It was open plan at the top of the stairs, said hi to the old boy in the kitchen and then went to ring the bell at the reception desk...before pressing the bell the old boy said 'can I help you?' I asked if he had any doubles going and he said yes and showed us around the place, an old lady was sat infront of the TV in the 'nursing home chic' lounge.....yup fine its a room so we took it, got our bags from the car and came back. After discussing the bizarre experience we realised that it was their flat that we were planning to stay in. Fine, we were the only ones there and he it didnt strike him at first to give us a key to the room until I asked for one. Interesting. He told us where the local supermarket was and we left to grab some dinner...we cheated and bought back a pizza hut to eat. The old couple sat in their lounge and watched TV, we sat at the dining table behind and watched Corrie with them....they seemed friendly enough. Was very homely and was fine. Then a guy turned up on his own, a tad creepy as we spoke to him. And late on through the evening more and more people turned up. Was a good night in the end, Hugh (the old boy) had been running the joint for 17 years and was now 79 years old. He said the place was on the market as they felt they could no longer handle the business. Met lots of interesting people and exchange tips with an American family from Arizona - they had been to Hawaii but never been to New Zealand before, and it was sort of last minute for them so they were pleased for us to tell them about the South Island. Had such a good nights sleep there, some idiot was playing guitar all night in the Rotorua Hostel and preceeded to whale along with his playing until midnight.

Hamilton was just a stop off really on route to Auckland (like for all the other fellow backpackers!) but we watched some cricket and had a good evening there. We made tracks to Auckland prompty on New Years Eve to get back to Jayn's and get ready to see in the New Year. Jayn made us Roast Beef - so good! Yes dad, Jayns roast was good! People were stunned when we told them, but Jayn has made us two lovely meals. Everyone now knows the rice pudding story, hehe.

New Years Eve we left up to Jayn to decide as we were easy as long as it involved alcohol....we went to the Bristish Isles pub in Rothesay Bay....a pub! It had been so long! Pubs are very few and far between in NZ and Jayn was driving so that left me and dan to our own devices. Sank a few pints and Dan foolishly mixed his drinks, but was a good evening, even with the bad guitarist (we did wonder if it was the one from Rotorua). We snuck into the bar from the resturant to get away from the bloke playing guitar but then he followed us!! Livid!

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