Day Three-New Years Day Rotorua

Staying with a family was the right move. They incorporated me into their New Year's Eve dinner. They happened to be health nut vegetarians too. The mom, Karin was South African, the dad, Barry was from the Channel Island Jersey. Barry told me I should go down to the nature reserve on the street and check out the eucalyptus, redwoods and birds. It was a great tip A one minute walk from the house had to transported me to an ancient pine, redwood and eucalyptus forest.

After dinner a german-converted-kiwi came over to roast marshmallows for the new year. He talked about his work as a monastery keeper and provided the german translation for marshmallow (mausepeck) which means mouse bait in german. I asked what a monastery keeper does and he explained that he takes care of the monks. He makes sure they eat, carts them around town because they aren’t allowed to drive and does housekeeping. He said that he feels a bit like a “monk wife”. 

I woke the next morning early due to cramps. It’s always funny to get my period on New Years morning because my first ever period arrived on New Years morning. I then took a relaxing run amongst the hobbit hills while I caught up with Joseph on the phone. It was nice to hear his voice. 

My hosts had offered to take me along to a magical river, waterfall and concert in the afternoon but I had other plans. I needed to get to the Wai-O-Tapu geothermal wonderland. Months ago while researching my trip back in the states, I saw a picture of a specific, multicolored, thermal body of water and I needed to see it person. That picture was the whole reason I was in Rotorua. There was one little problem with my plan. The Wai-O-Tapu was a 25 minute car drive from my lodging, not on a bus line, and not actually in Rotorua. There were some shuttles but I wasn’t sure they would be reliable or priced to my liking. I decided that 32 kilometers was not very far to bike and my host had offered to lend me her bike. However, when I told her that I thought I would bike to Wai-O-Tapu she seemed a little alarmed. Little did she know that her doubt in the feasibility of my plan was exactly what I needed to motivate me. 

As I left my house I debated my options. I biked down the street and told myself I would just ride down to the tourist center and get a bus. But I couldn’t past the end of the next street before changing my mind. I called in a reality check from Joseph, got the o.k. and called in directions from my sister. After all, one of my original plans was to bike the whole country, so how could I turn my back on a little 32 km bike stroll? As it turned out, the Kiwis had built a bike trail alongside the highway to my thermal wonderland and called it the…”New Zealand Geothermal Bike Trail”. 

This is "roo roo". He is a New Zealand owl who provides traffic safety tips. 

The geothermal bike trail

It was an amazing trek through forests and hills. I saw my first exotic bird since my arrival. I named it a skunk bird because it looked like a skunk but later found that it was called a Myna. The hill sheep ignored my presence but when cows spotted me they stared. Unfortunately, half way into my trip the bike lane ended and I was stuck with the bike lane on the highway. But I got there. I was glad I rode my bike, but a bike ride home was not on the table. 

I bought my ticket to wonderland and asked the lady about transportation home. It seemed as though “Harry” the guy who ran the shuttle was AWOL. The ladies said he was probably drunk for New Years. I decided to deal with my transportation woes after my visit. Wai-O-Tapu was everything I hoped for. In addition to being a smelly natural wonder, it was fascinating to people watch as well. At the onset it seemed I was right behind an American oil baron and his family. They had hired a personal tour guide to basically read the pamphlet given to everyone with admission.  

Soon into my walk I got to the lake that had captured me from the internet months ago. I watched the mist move from every angle and received it straight it into my face and arms. I marveled at the mists ability to act like flames in a fire pit and do something unique every time. I took pictures. I loved on that geothermal wonder. 

I made my way through the rest of the geothermal wonders in the hot New Zealand sun. When I had woke at 6am it was cool and rainy. The evolution into a dry hot sunny day had taken me a bit by surprise. By the time I was done visiting the geothermal wonderland my body confirmed that I would not be biking home. Since the shuttle driver was apparently drunk I was going to have to wait in the parking lot and ask for a ride home. Though I had promised not to hitchhike, this didn’t feel like hitchhiking. The people I harassed as they approached their cars were people I had been walking through the park with. And anyway, I don’t think serial killers or sex slave traders visit smelly sulfur wonderlands. My alternative was dying of dehydration and rnhabdomylosis on the side of the rode. 

After several unsuccessful attempts to secure a ride for me and my bike (people claimed to be going south to Taupo), I found a young asian couple on their way to Rotorua where they had just moved the day before. The man apologized for his messy car which I found remarkable. After all, he was doing me a favor. I struck up conversation with the woman for a few minutes and we rode the rest of the way in silence. Driving  over area I had recently covered by bike I now saw why Karin had thought me crazy to bike. I was so thankful to be in a car for this leg of the journey. The couple dropped me off at a spot I requested in town and I decided to make one last stop before collapsing at home. 

Rotorua is known for its waters and many hoity toity spas in the town capitalize on therapeutic waters, mud baths, and massages. The night before, Barry had turned me onto a no frills sulphur bath just down the street in a “holiday park” which is what we would call a campground/vacation trailer park. 

I went inside to the information desk but lost heart in the wait after a few minutes. It was full of moms, screaming kids, and tired reception workers. I strolled my bike to the entrance of holiday land intending to leave when I noticed a man in the front yard of a house in the park. I asked him if there were thermal baths in the park and if they were any good. He offered to show me around. As he toured me around to the various pools I discovered I had turned to the perfect person with my inquiry. Albert was the park manager. As the tour ended I asked him how I could get admission to the pools. He told me to have at it free of charge and if anyone asked to tell them I was camping there and go take it up with Albert. 

Holiday Land

So I slid into the big pool and soaked my sore muscles in a hot sulphur bath while chatting it up with a Rotorua native who visits these pools daily. We discussed the history of "taking the waters" and I told him about my trip over the summer to Hot Springs Arkansas. We talked about healthcare and he told me that of the three hospitals in town, one actually still used the waters for healing. I found that information very interesting. I had thought that the taking of the waters for not something still practiced as an actual healing modality. If I had taken an extra day in Rotorua I would have liked to have visited that hospital. When I could no longer take the hot sulphur bath I slithered out, jumped on my bike and rode home. I picked up some food at a little market and cooked dinner at home. It was a perfect day.