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The countryside on the way to Rotorua was typical New Zealand farm vistas, all bright green tellytubby hills...except random plumes of steam everywhere coming out of the ground looked like dozens of unattended fires. It was weird! Rotorua SMELLED. No, it STANK. We checked into Base backpackers, and went on a walking tour in the last remaining light of the day - most of which was spent lingering in one of the town parks, filled with bubbling mud pools and lakes - steam rose all over the place, it was like a completely different planet. We went back to the hostel and watched some tv, played some cards and went to bed. Next morning we went out to Wai-O-Tapu, or 'scared water' thermal park. There were some amazing bubbling craters and pits, boiling mud pools, and the lady Knox geyser, which, with a little help from soap suds erupted right on time and sent boiling water some 20 meters into the air. The colours in the reserve were incredible, due to all the different minerals: there was one pool that was luminous green - i swear, luminous green; and loads of bright yellows and reds from all the sulphur. We tried
Next to the champagne pools in Wai O Tapu
gorgeous colours but oh my god the stench... to visit some thermal baths nearby, but they were shut, so instead we went down a bumpy logging road to 'kerosene creek', a small steaming creek with thermal water - the only place you can take a hot dip for free! I jumped in next to a small waterfall and soaked it all in - it was heaven. We made our way on to the main thermal reserve in town, Te Whakarewarewa, and had a guided tour round the maori cultural sites there, as well as seeing the Puhutu geyser, a very impressive geyser that erupts up to 20 times a day, reaching nearly 30 meters. We strolled through the steaming grounds, then after a thoroughly touristy day, we headed back to the hostel pretty knackered.
The next day the sun was out, it was a gorgeous sunny warm day, and we headed west to Matamata, home of Hobbiton. Peter Jackson filmed on a farm nearby, but the tours were 50 dollars so i bought a postcard and contented myself with being within a 15 mile radius of the set. We went down the road to Tirau, where they have a penchant for corrugated iron, namely, making oversized things
out of it - a dog and a sheep, as big as buildings, make up the visitors centre and gift shop, and there are random sculptures around town, including a big corrugated iron cheese above a very friendly merchants shop who gave us free nibbles of biscuits and cheese. Next we headed on to Cambridge, a gorgeous leafy place, wide tree lined streets, very English country village. We happened to park outside a pet shop - naturally i went in, and about an hour later, broken hearted, dragged myself back out, having fallen madly in love with two eager black lab pups, two very fluffy border collie pups and three very tiny, very enthusiastic, licky chihuahuas. We got talking to a NZ guy and his English wife who recommended Raglan on the west coast, so off we went via Hamilton, New Zealands largest inland city. It was also very pretty, running alongside a fast flowing river with beautiful gardens bathed in gold and red leaves and a compact centre - it reminded me a little of somewhere like Carlisle or Hexham. The sun was making its descent when we arrived in Raglan, a small but lively place full of cafes.
Traditional Maori carvings
On the meeting house at Te Whaka Our hostel was small and friendly - very laid back, with free kayaks, bikes, and fishing rods on offer. We took a walk along the black sandy beach with views of the local volcano Mt Karioi, then we wandered up and down the one street before chilling in the hostel for the night.
Next morning it was finally time to take the car back. We headed up to our final destination, Auckland, found our hostel, another Base backpackers, and took the car back. We walked around the main streets for a bit...just another big city really but certainly not souless. We went up the sky tower; the tallest building in the southern hemisphere. The views over Auckland, its harbour, and the volcanoes around it were spectacular. We wandered around a pretty park area and sat next to a fountain, where i fed my last remaining nut supply to a flock of sparrows who came and perched on my hand to take the food out of my fingers! We went back to the hostel and got chatting to the Brits in our room, Bev, Neil and Emma. The alcohol started flowing and we soon bullied the rest of the inhabitants
of room 105 to join in and come out with us - Giovanni from Italy, Lenny from Norway, John from Canada and a french dude. We went to the nightclub that adjoined our hostel, and from there it got a bit messy. I ended up playing very bad pool with a maori guy, then accepted numerous drinks from a local rugby team...lets just say there happened to be a pole...and I happened to end up pretending I could actually pole dance - a lot. In fact you know its a good night when fully grown men are queueing up to take their turn pole dancing. The next morning I awoke with a stinking hangover and a sprained foot. I spent the morning limping around town, pausing to sit down often because either the foot hurt or I felt like spewing. But it was a nice sunny day at least! I went back to the hostel and went back to bed for a bit, then me and Phil went to the cinema to see Mission Impossible 3. Our final day in Auckland, we went on a free city tour, visiting mainly the north coast, with great views back across the harbour
Oh yes.
the sign says it all really to the city centre with the sky tower dominating the skyline. We went to Mt Victoria, one of 50 odd dormant volcanoes around the city, and ended up in the suburb of Devonport, a nice place full of posh cafes, antique shops, second hand book shops and the like. So in a few hours we'll be off to the aiport!! We fly back via LA, so i can say that technically i have finally circumnavigated the world! Its going to be a nightmare trip, arriving in LA before we left New Zealand, but im ready to come home.
I cant believe Ive finally come to the end of New Zealand, with its truly spectacular scenery and suicidal possums; of this 3 and a half months, and of this whole gap year. In a way, it seems like a lifetime ago that i was saying goodbye last July, and yet it seems like only yesterday. I really have seen and done some incredible things, and I hope some day to get the chance to come back again to some of these amazing places. Im sad that it's all coming to and end, but home is where the heart is, and
after much deliberation - with Argentina and my beloved Buenos Aires coming a close second; i reckon my heart will forever remain in Britain. So im bringing myself home, laden down with memories that are already seeming dreamlike - did I really see such things and go to such places? So this is my final entry and my final farewell. I hope you've enjoyed reading my blogs, because it's been a right pain in the arse keeping it updated. Alas, these entries are no more....IM COMING HOME!!!!!
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