Rotorua

So I take the bus to Rotorua. Met my travelling buddy, Tom Morgan who seems quite nice, but not quite as crazy as I would imagine my travel companion to be, but it's only for two days, so if we don't get along, I suppose it doesn't matter!

Now because I was clever the night before (asking the cab driver to drive past the bus station on Hobson street), I knew exactly where I needed to walk with my heavy suitcase! It was about 15 mins from my hotel but definitely felt alot longer thanks to the suitcase and the uncertainty about where I was going! Walked about 15 mins to the bus terminal (my sense of direction is not bad, actually) and then boarded the bus to Rotorua. The journey took about 4 hours, which was really painful! We finally got to Rotorua and got something to eat. And because I was craving it, of course I had the big breakfast. Evidence attached below:

This is of course Tom, having the massivest pancake I've seen in a while!

My thoughts on Rotorua: small sleepy town. But don't let that fool you! This town is full of adrenaline packed activities and needless to say that I was game to do most of it! Unfortunately, my travelling buddy Tom was on a bit of a budget, so we're just going to have to make do.

Prior to arriving to Rotorua, I had done my adequate research and found a $10 ticket to take me to Rotorua for the next two days. I was excited because I wanted to see the Maori village and more importantly, I wanted to do something on my list: zorbing. Yes, there are three things on my list and one of them is actually zorbing. And lucky for me, I was at the home of where it all started.


On the way to Rotorua, got to know my travel buddy a little more, and was a little dismayed that it was raining! However, passed a lot of interesting structures and buildings! Everyone tells me how beautiful New Zealand is, but really, I don't think it's any different from Tassie! Well, the North Island that is! As for the South Island, it is yet to be seen!

Arrived in Rotorua, which was a pretty little town! Booked into Base Backpackers on the Hot Rocks and was pleasantly surprised to find that there was a thermal pool at the back of the hostel. Yay! Went walking around the city centre, which wasn't very big at all. Headed to the jade factory to buy my mother something and watched the tradesman carve jade, which was not as interesting as expected!





What I thought was most interesting was that a little park right behind the backpackers, which had awesome bubbling mud and also some weird air vents where all the steam was escaping. It made for interesting video footage, which I have included in this! It drizzled a little bit, but I didn't mind, I was on holiday!

More importantly, the back of BASE had a thermal pool, which meant lovely warm water in the middle of a freezing winter! It was good fun and note to self, come back here with either my girls or a nice man!

But the end of the night wasn't as exciting as I had hoped. Because Tom and I had decided to go for the day Maori village tour, which was with Te Puia, we decided that drinkies was in order and went for a night out on the town. We managed to find Henessy's a pub which offered two for one cocktails, but we were about the only patrons in there.


(Yeah baby - 2 for 1 cocktails! -->)

We also stopped at the Pig and Whistle and finally back to the Lava bar, which was quiet at first and then everyone came streaming in, just back from the night Maori Village, which I can't be sure what the name was. Either way, I was in and out of there - I had to sleep because I have more travelling to do tomorrow!



This was the range of beers they had at the LAVA bar - like what the???