Rotoura and Beyond

Oh how the heavens have been weeping…

It has been raining for a week now and while I know I’m lucky that I’m in NZ rain and not Toronto rain, it still isn’t the most wonderful thing.  Most of what I want to do is outdoors and rain makes it hard to do many of those things.

I arrived in Rotorua, home of the geothermal muds, around 8:30pm and the town was dead. It’s a small place and the main downtown area goes to sleep early most nights. If that didn’t freak me out, then my hostel sure did. I stayed at Cactus Jack’s which is a tex-mex themed hostel and is cheap. I arrived and while the guy who runs the place was super friendly though the hostel was also dead quiet. It felt a bit like a horror movie set up and I was just prey for some serial killer.

Of course in the light of day and once I met some of the other guests, it wasn’t bad. Sure I hated having to walk across the courtyard to the washroom but it had a summer camp/commune sort of feel to it.

The rain put a damper on a lot of my plans but on my second day we got a reprieve from the rain. It was only for half the day but it was enough for me to enjoy a walk through the Redwoods which are stunning and inspiring. From the top of one of the hills you can look out and see the downtown area and the mist rising from the geothermal ponds. It was so beautiful and I could have stayed up there for the whole day; but of course the rain returned.

That evening I went to Tamaki Village which is the Maori village where you essential get dinner and a show. I went in part because I want to learn more about the Maori and in part because it is Maori owned and operated. It was really interesting but it lacked depth and that must be due to what they know the general tourist is interested. It was a bit strange when they took us inside to perform some songs and the Haka for us because at that point I really thought I was in a dinner theatre, all it needed was dancing waiters. Once they were done the performers left for the evening and we went to eat our dinner. They cook it in the traditional way, covered in the ground, which gives it this beautiful smoky taste. It was an amazing spread of food and I wanted to just keep eating but my stomach said stop. The thing I regret about the visit is I did forget my camera so I have zero pictures from the evening. On a funny note one of the performers was a kid in Whale Rider and you could tell he was new to the show or he just has the worst rhythmic timing.

While in Rotorua I got a job offer to work down in the south island in Akaroa located 1hr outside of Christchurch.  I will be working as a server in a restaurant, which I’ve never done, on a beach. It’s located on the coast line, so I get to live on the ocean for 3 months. I’m excited but also nervous about being a server. Even though I work in the arts, I have managed to stay clear of the food service industry.

I had planned on being in Taupo for 3 days but with the rain and my need to get to the south island for work, I have cut my stay in Taupo to the one evening which blows but there isn’t much I can do here with the rain. Remember, I am not an experienced outdoors person and I am alone so hiking in the rain is not something I want to do for fear of injury. I’ll be able to go back to Taupo on my way back to Auckland when it is time to leave NZ in June.

Goodbye Taupo and now onwards to Wellington where I will be for a very short 2 days until I catch the ferry across to my bus that will get me to Christchurch. I have been warned that Christchurch is still experience aftershocks a couple of times a week which kind of freaks me out.

XOXO
Sid