Family Reunion

First thing I should mention before jumping into the family reunion is that John and I once again have jobs! We've known for a while, but about a week after we left Hawke's Bay we already had jobs set up in the South Island for Ski Roundhill! We got two interviews for ski fields: Roundhill and Treble Cone. Treble Cone is one of the major ski fields in the South Island, and while it's a really nice ski field the dates for Roundhill were perfect for us--not starting until July--which means we will have the whole month of June to explore the South Island. So, we are pretty excited!

Anywho, after being in New Zealand for so long with just the two of us, it was so great to see some family again! John's great Aunt and Uncle, Dave and Polly, came over from NC for their daughter, Alice's, graduation from Massey Vet School! Congrats to Alice and what a great reunion we had! Alice's boyfriend, Russell, also came up and the 6 of us had a great time together!

The afternoon before we got together was quite a rainy one in Taupo. We spent the early part of the afternoon trying to find a garage that would do a cheap oil change--which, turned out, was impossible in Taupo. The cheapest we found was $100 and it ranged up to $140-160. Crazy ridiculous. Turns out that's pretty standard in NZ, or at least in Taupo, so we may just have to do it ourselves if we can't find a cheaper alternative. But the good news is, the car is keeping up very well!

After our unsuccessful oil-change venture, we decided to drive just out of town to visit Huka Falls. It was a short visit, as it was quite rainy, but we got a nice picture of the river as it rushes through the gorge. It's more of a rapids than a falls, but the water is a really pretty blue.

That night we met up with the gang at their really nice Hilton hotel room (they had a pillow menu!) and spent some time catching up over some wine. Then we braved the bad weather to go out to eat and ended up finding a good place not too far away called "Plateau" for a little celebratory dinner! We raced across the parking lot in the pouring rain and by the time we got inside we were pretty wet. Most of us had to dry off a bit in the restrooms before sitting down for a delicious dinner!

The next day we met up for a nice walk night in Taupo. The 1 hr walk wound along the Waikato River, the longest in New Zealand, and ended up again at Huka Falls. However, it was a much nicer day--warm and sunny--and we enjoyed the company this time! 

At the end of the return trip was some free, natural hot springs right in the reserve. They were quite hot! The pools closer to the source were a bit too hot for me to stand, but luckily, at the bottom the hot and cold mixed into a nice waterfall that was much easier to stand under. Dave, who loves really hot water, was in his element!

It was a nice afternoon and the weather couldn't have been more perfect. We were hoping to top off the day with an Extreme Swing that John and I had GrabOne coupons for, as it was right up the road. I had called a few days before to make a booking and they said I didn't need one and that they closed at 4:30. We got there at 3, with the weather still beautiful, and the guy tells me that they are closing early that day . . . . on a gorgeous Thursday afternoon. Lame. 

We were hoping to do the Tongariro the next day, or any day we could really. But, the curse held up and every day we called the night before to find that it was cancelled due to weather or wind . . . one day . . . one day. . .

However, we still had a great rest of the day--stopping at Alice's favorite gelato place and we decided that John and I would cook for everyone in their well-equipped hotel room. We got some nice lamb and I made Lamb Provencal with roasted potatoes and pumpkin and green beans. A delicious meal!

The next morning, we tried the rope swing again. They were open this time, but the weather was rainy and a bit cold--decidedly a lot worse than the day before--which really annoyed me as it was a perfect afternoon when they randomly decided to close an hour and a half early. But, right before our turn the rain stopped, which was nice, and the rope swing was a lot of fun! Despite it being Friday the 13th, nothing bad happened! Check it out:

After that, it was off to smelly Rotorua! We stopped for lunch at a delicious little restaurant called the Fat Dog, with healthy, delicious meal options and portions that were huge! Check out the hamburger John got:

After that, the girls and guys split up and the gals did a bit of browsing and a stop at the Body Shop for some makeup. We soon met up and it was off to Zorbing!

For all of those who were confused by the photos on Facebook, Zorbing is a New Zealand born adventure activity where usually you were strapped in a big ball and rolled down a hill. However, the Zorbing place has since discontinued the normal version, as the last person that went down went a bit too fast and got hurt--but they still offer the hydro version! You basically get into a smaller ball within the bigger ball and they fill up the small one with some (warm!) water and down the hill you go! John and I were able to go together and it was a lot of fun (and very cold when you got out!) Here are some videos/photos of everyone coming down:

That night was an easy one with Hell's Pizza back at the hotel room, with some Lord of The Rings for the girls and rugby for the boys.

Our last day together was relaxing with great weather! We first met up at Kerosene Creek, however there had been some significant rain in the area, thus it wasn't nearly as hot as it usually is. 

It was still a nice little romp, and then we all headed back to Taupo as they all had the sailing to the Maori carvings and John and I were just going to relax. We ended up stopping at a glass blowing place right out of town. We decided to go in, as it was an active workshop and you could watch the artists as they worked. It was really fascinating to see how they molded and shaped melted glass, using tools and blowing it as well. There was a gallery filled with all kinds of cool pieces and we ended up buying one! (Not the ones below, they are just some of the cool ones)

After that we headed back to the Hilton, as Polly and Dave graciously let us use their room/free internet while they finished up their cruise. Ripping people off on internet is a very common thing here too--but they simply don't have the infrastructure yet that the U.S. does. We then met up again at Alice's favorite gelato place, as she was also meeting up with a friend from Massey Vet school. The boys hit the bar next door :) After deciding on Indian takeout for dinner, we all went back to that same bar to have some drinks while we waited for the food. Then it was back to the hotel for a little sauna/spa action! We went into the steam room for a while, which was quite nice (until breathing became an issue) and then John, Alice, Russell, and I ventured out to the hot tub which was equally as soothing. We went back to fetch Dave before we headed back inside to make sure he didn't stay there all night :) We had a yummy dinner and then it was time to say goodbye.

We were so happy to have shared some New Zealand adventures and memories with John's family. It was truly a wonderful time and we were so grateful for everything they did for us while they were here. It was also great to see some familiar faces after so many months of only new ones (not that the new ones are bad!)  I must say, after all the bad luck Taupo has brought us in the past, this time around it was nothing but good times with great company!

Rotorua and Rotten Eggs

The drive out of Waikaremoana up to Rotorua turned out to be a lot like our trip. Google maps told me it would take 2 hours to get from the visitors center to Rotorua--yeah, no. It took us about 2 hours to make our way along a winding and unpaved road through the Te Urewera Forest. By the time we thought we should be almost out we still had plenty more road to go. But, before we went on our way we stopped at a pretty little waterfall near the lake called Papakorito Falls:

We also saw some escaped horses just munching on some grass on the side of the narrow road, in which a very long drop-off was just on the other side of them. But finally, after 2 hours of rather nauseating turns, the hills and mountains parted to reveal flat, straight land headed to Rotorua! It was a glorious sight. As we headed up the road we decided we would stop at John's Aunt and Uncle's favorite spot in New Zealand--Kerosene Creek. It's a small creek located off an old unpaved road about 20 minutes outside of Rotorua. It's naturally heated due to the abundance of geothermal activity in the area. It fluctuates with the weather though, and while it wasn't steaming hot (like Dave likes it), it was still warm and a pleasant soothing for our aching muscles and sweaty bodies. 

Not that you could smell any sweat over the pungent and distinct odor of sulphur. Upon getting close to the town of Rotorua, all of a sudden the distinct and foul smell of rotten eggs wafted over our nostrils and hung in the air all over town. The wonderful thermal pools come with a stinky price. The area right outside, and even around, the town has a plethora of geothermal areas, all of which give off the sulphur smell. John and I decided it smells either like old Cheerios in sour milk with a side of rotten eggs, or a badly smoked bacon and rotten egg sandwich. Either way, not the best aroma in the world. Apparently, you get used to it after a while. 

After arriving at our hostel, taking a MUCH needed real shower, and a eating delicious philly cheese steak dinner (courtesy of John), it was time to pass out! The next day we decided to venture out to the source of the smell. Our first stop was Wai-O-Tapu which means "sacred waters" in Maori--not that there was much water around. We first went to see a New Zealand geyser, Lady Knox, that the park sets off every morning at 10:15 a.m. Apparently some prisoners who did landscaping work all around the area of the geyser discovered it's abilities 80 years ago when, after doing some laundry, they dropped some soap powder into it's mouth and it then proceeded to erupt! They use an eco-friendly substance now. While the geyser can go off by itself at random intervals, they usually set it off on their own by using the catalyst. It was really neat to watch as, apparently, there are only a few places in the world where a natural and active geyser can be found: Yellowstone National Park in the U.S., Eastern Russia, Iceland, and the ones in New Zealand. 

After the geyser, we set off into the rest of the park to look at the variety and scope of geothermal activity. It was smelly, but colorful--filled with steaming craters and bubbling hot pools. Here are two of the more colorful ones:

On the way out we decided to stop at the boiling mud pools, which too had a very pungent smell, along with a nice "gloop" sound whenever they splattered.

The next stop was volcanic activity of a slightly different sort at Waimangu Volcanic Valley. The moment we walked in it had a very Jurassic Park-esk feel, without the dinosaurs, of course. Lush forest with plumes of stream rising up everywhere--it was kinda cool. The different thing about this particular park  was 1) less color and 2) much newer.  Apparently 60,000 years ago a volcano in Taupo erupted and it was the most violent volcanic eruption in recorded history--sparking all this future activity. But some of the stuff in Waimangu only started developing in the 1970s--which was kinda cool. You got to see the process and the stuff from which the Earth was made and formed. Here are some of the highlights:

Our last stop of the night was at Rainbow Springs Kiwi Wildlife park--an excellent recommendation made by my friend Ian. It's a wildlife center with all kinds of animals but they also do Kiwi breeding and rehabilitation. We saw a lot of cool animals like the Tuatara Lizard.  It's called a living fossil because it has changed very little and is the only surviving genus of it's species that lived during the Cretaceous period some 120 million years ago. It can stand still for EVER and is one of the slowest growing and longest-living reptiles (estimates up to 300 years!) Also, it can go up to 6 months without feeding and breathe as little as once an hour. Pretty cool, huh? Found only here on some 30 small islands around NZ. 

We also saw Wallabies, brought over from Australia--but I do believe there is a population of them here (no Kangaroos, though). 

We also saw the Kea bird. A  very intelligent and inquisitive bird, but the one at the park had been accustomed to human interaction so you could walk right up to it! No good to provoke it, however. Alice told us that in the wild Kea birds have been known to eat the rubber off people's cars that they leave in lots on tramping trips! Very curious birds, indeed.

The highlight of the night, however, was getting to see Kiwis up close--and not behind glass! The biggest attraction of Rainbow Springs was their "Kiwi Encounter." After dark you could come back to the park (your ticket was good for 24 hours, multiple entry) and they had an outdoor Kiwi house where all 4 of their Kiwis had their own little pens. The only thing that separated them, and you from them, was a small, maybe 3 to 4 foot high, wall so you could almost reach out and touch them! (of course you can't ACTUALLY touch them.) But we managed to see all 4 several times and some came right up to the closest wall and they were almost standing right next to you. They don't allow cameras of video though, as Kiwis, being nocturnal animals, are very sensitive to light and noise. So you will just have to take my word for it that it was really cool! A definitely highlight of the trip. 

After a long and fun-filled day it was time to head to Taupo for a little family reunion!

Lake Waikaremoana

So our last few days in Hawke's Bay were cold and rainy, but luckily, on the day we left, the sun came out and we were greeted by fantastic weather for our tramp around Lake Waikaremoana. We packed up the car and headed out! It wasn't a far drive to the lake and by the time we got there and got our packs all set we were ready to head out! We encountered a little bit of unexpected Americana in the parking lot--it was kinda funny (as the whole Bin Laden saga had just gone down):

But after a few long months without any real tramping or wilderness experience, we were ready to go! (And had no idea what we were in for).

The signs for the tramp said it was a 4.5-5 hour trip with a "steady" incline. Basically we walked almost entirely uphill for 5 hours. Not the easiest start for our out-of-shape bodies. However, the climb up did have some very nice views and as we had to stop quite often to rest we were able to get some great pictures of the lake. 

It was nice weather, which made it much more pleasant, but we were hoping to make it to the hut before sunset . . . yeah, that did not happen. 

We reached the highest point, Panikere Bluff, about 3 hours into the trip and thought we would only have another hour or so left--as we thought we were fast enough to make it under the posted time. However, after climbing and climbing, the sun started to set and we thought for sure we had to be close. A friend of ours had told us that when we found a long set of wooden stairs that we were almost to the hut--I'm pretty sure I looked for those wooden steps for the last 2 hours of the trip.

We tramped through the sunset. . .  and then it got dark. We probably walked the last hour of the trail in the darkness, using a flashlight to see where we were going. The tramp that started out nice was no longer fun. It was dark and cold, we were tired and hungry, and I think we both entertained the scary possibility that we would have to spend the night on the forest floor. Not gonna lie, I was about ready to burst into tears when, finally, after walking what felt like forever in the dark . . . wooden stairs! John and I sat on them and took in a deep breath of relief before heading up the stairs to the hut. It was actually only about 6:15 by the time we arrived, but we had been climbing since 1:00 and so it felt like forever. 

When we arrived there was already a large school group there, as well as another couple, and a very nice older woman traveling by herself. It was a bit full, but not overcrowded. We were so excited to finally take off our packs and eat a nice meal (with the new camping cooking supplies we bought for our future tramping endeavors). We very much enjoyed the indoor wood-burning furnace that heated up the whole place to the point that you didn't even really need thick clothing--I actually woke up in the middle of the night sweating in my sleeping bag. After a cold, barely-qualified-but-better-than-nothing shower in which I poured cold water over myself outside in the dark, a nice warm meal, it was an early night for us! I'm pretty sure we were asleep by 9:00--though it was a night of tossing and turning for me--despite my exhaustion. 

I woke up the next morning to the sunrise, which was one of the main reasons why we wanted to go to this particular hut which was so high up. I was one of the first out of bed (besides the old woman) and grabbed my camera and ran outside, no shoes or contacts--just in my PJs, to get pictures of the gorgeous view before the intensity of the colors faded. It MIGHT have been worth the 5 hour tramp and the sore muscles and fatigue. It was pretty magical with the layer of mist hovering over the lake. I'll let you be the judge:

Soon, the whole hut was up and John and I were preparing for the inevitable tiring walk back down the way we came. I was sure we had only gone downhill a few times on the trip up, but apparently there was more than I had expected. The first half of the trip was spend undulating up and down through the woods, and John and I had to stop many times as we were still fatigued from the previous day. However, John had noticed he'd lost a button on his shorts as we were getting dressed that morning and as we were making our way back along the path (this time entirely in daylight) we found it lying on a stump right on the path. A bit of luck!

We also decided to stop in this nifty hollow of a tree.

 The downhill turned out to be quite strenuous in it's own right, and by the time we got back to the car we were pooped! We have now created a new rule for ourselves in which we will not undergo any overnight tramps that are more than 3 hours one way. 3 hours is pleasant, 4 is pushing it, and 5 is just miserable we learned. But still, it was great to see some new sights again and enjoy the beautiful weather! 

Our next stop: Rotorua!