The Long Way Round

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Well I finally made it to Taupo and am working at a hostel here until it's time to go to Bay of Islands, but what a crazy route, as you can see from the map showing my journey of the last week and a bit. For some reason I opted to show the bus route from Hamilton to Taupo so you can see I stopped at Rotorua for 30mins, I don't know why I did that, but I do know that I really wanted to go to Rotorua and felt somewhat teased by this comfort stop....maybe next year.

Forgot to mention about my mini-adventure in Hamilton when I was exploring the city and heard the distinctive sounds of a band, so trundled over to "Garden Place" which is essentially a patch of grass and the local radio station was putting on an all day event with local bands, so that was pretty cool and all with a 30 foot xmas tree watching over us. I tell you what, you don't know the meaning of surreal until you're in 25degree heat with everyone shouting merry xmas...

Watched the Christmas Parade while I was there too, although quite what Ronald McDonald and Spongebob Squarepants have to do with the season of goodwill I do not know.

Arrived in Taupo yesterday and went for an explore. Found the bungee site (bugger that) and a lake the size of a small country, then discovered that one of the bars is owned by the owner of the hostel and coz I'm working there I get a dollar off my drinks woo hoo!

Woke up and spent 2 hours cleaning bathrooms (nice) but I'll be doing it for less than 10 days so I'm sure I'll cope. Then because someone was leaving we got free Domino's for lunch (genuinely nice) before heading out on a free boat trip on the lake (was nice until it got cloudy).

Unfortunately I will be working 10-12 everyday, which although it isn't a hardship means that I will not be able to get on the crack-of-dawn-bus to go do the Tongariro Crossing. This is a 7-8hour hike THAT I'VE BOUGHT SHOES FOR which takes you up Mountain Something-Or-Other which was used as Mount Doom in some b-movie or other, so I am proper gutted, but hope to use my shoes on the South Island and come back for Tongariro next year. You know, when it's not summer anymore....grrr....

Here's some photos and I'll catch you later....

Greg

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Photos

A Spitfire - Hamilton Memorial Park
Coz I've never seen one of these...

Riff Raff
Apparently Richard O'Brien is a Hamilton Boy

A Bird
I dunno what this is but I was surrounded at one point

Xmas Parade 6
Actually made of chocolate

My Room in Taupo
Note the lack of curtains...

Restaurant in Taupo
They're everywhere