What's that smell?

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We're up early to check out of the KiwiPaka and ready for the drive accross country from the West Coast to the East, as the crow flies it doesnt look far but you have to drive North then South to get there.

Waitomo was a really nice place but there's nothing to do once you've explored the caves, the town itself makes Inchture look like a bustling Metropolis, and that isn' easy.

We stopped in Hamilton for lunch on the way, Hamilton is a big city (by NZ standards), I think it's the 5th biggest in New Zealand and looked a wee bit rough round the edges, after lucnh I went for a haircut that cost $7, about 2.70 pounds and I still think I was robbed, you've all seen it by now I guess, so much for me not shaving or getting my hair cut for a year, the shaving lasted 3 days until Hogmanay and the hair slightly better at 4 weeks, really couldn't be arsed with it though, best all round I say.

While I was getting shaved at the Hamilton Barbers Fiona went wandering around the shops with the strict instruction that she had $7 to spend, max, imagine my surpise when not only did she stick to that but she had a top thing and $5 change, $2 for a top, about 80p, she can go shopping in Hamilton anytime.

Back on the road we were real close to Rotorua when we first sampled the delight of the local aroma, I'm convinced it was a stench of rotten eggs and Fiona thinks it was like Cheesy feet so somewhere in between you've got what could only be described as pungent.

Now as you drive in to Rotorua you're greeted by a sign that declares Rotorua to be New Zealands most beautiful city award winner in 1998, 2000, 2002 and 2003, some going as everywhere we've been was stunning but where was the PS, the small print if you will? "Yes we are beautiful but visitors be ware, we stink of shit", how many tourists would flock now I ask?

Anyway Rotorua is indeed a beautiful city and a decent size, complete with it's own set of 'boy racers' that we encountered at the first roundabout.

After a five minute drag-race (I don't know where they got all the womens clothes from), with the locals we found the hostel, it was bigger than we expected and had the infamous "Kiwi Experience" bus parked in the car park, not a good sign. The Kiwi Experience is legendary, think 18-30 holidays but read 18-21, they tour the country on this bus, sleeping all day then come alive at night to turn whatever lucky hostel they're staying in to Studio 54, party central.

Our fears were increased when at check-in the 'bubbly' receptionist declared that we were in luck as tomorrow night there was a foam party in the hostel bar, excellant I thought, a one-way ticket to 1998, Revolution anyone? I bet this sounds like heaven to you Mr Albury?

We got to our room clutching our 2 for 1 drink coupons tightly an were pleasantly surprised to find that not only was our room en-suite but there was a kitchenette thing too, sweet, won't have to mix with the 'Experience' dooshbags.

We went to explore the town and eventually got some lunch, we dropped in to the tourist info to find out what to do when in Rotorua and discovered the reason behind the smell is that Rotorua is a thermal reserve with loads of natural wonders, geysers, thermal pools, boiling mud, and natural spas, these things stink of Sulpher and thats what we're smelling allegedly.

We went for a walk along the river then off to the supermarket for supplies, I couldn't understand what was happening at the checkout, the girl took the shopping out of our trolly, scanned it then put it in another trolly, "no bags?" I queried, and she informed me that you either bring your own or use the boxes at the front door, it's a recycling thing, good initiative if you ask me. New Zealand is very green friendly, very little artificial lighting in shops, loads of different bins for recycling and even compost buckets for scraps of food and that, Fiona and I have vowed to be more green when we get home.

A quick note on shopping and our budget, we went in hoping to spend $30, $40 tops, 6 meals are all we need and everything is so cheap, so howe did we spend $135 then? The answer is alcohol, one thing that's not cheap here, even to carry out, 6 bottles is $10, about 4 quid, the same as at home but everything else (bread & milk a bizarre exception) is at least half the price, so why not booze?

Is it maybe the case that drink back home is really cheap and my moans about paying 3 pound a pint isn't a rip-off after all? I'm starting to think so, the cheapest pint in America was $5, about 2.80 and the cheapest is New Zealand was $6, about 2.30, and these were cheap, we've paid a lot more, and wages here are so much less so in real terms both are about 5 pounds in our money so no more moaning about expensive beer back home, unless you're reading this in Sweden.

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Photos

Fiona & Andrew
at Lake Rotorua

A nice pint of Tui
the local North Island brew

Fiona & Archer
her bestest friend

The Lake
as far as the eye can see

Andrew
hunter, gatherer.

Fiona
on the edge of reason