Rotorua, North Island, NZ

After a lovely breakfast at the B and B and a large amount of time spent trying to recusitate our netbook, we went on the whole Ruaraki bush walk (about 45 minutes long, with tunnels, beautiful plants, and caves) and then drove on for 2 hours to Rotorua.  The bush walk was the same one we took the night before to see glowworms, but in the day it has a totally different feel - sort of like walking into an Indiana Jones movie, complete with secret cave passages!

 We sent a quick post from the using the internet in the Rotorua library, just so that loved ones knew that we were still alive. After lunch at the cryptically-named "The Thai Restaurant", and some Hokey Pokey ice cream (vanilla with crunchy toffee bits) we visited the i-site next to the library (to book lodging and activities for tomorrow) and then went to the Polynesian Spa for some nice thermal hot spring pool lounging. What a steal- only about $24 NZ (about maybe $20 US)- you get unlimited access to 7 thermal pools (3 were alkaline and 4 were acidic) ranging in temperature from 38 degrees C to 42 degrees C (39 degrees C was Denise's favorite and Corey enjoyed the even hotter pools). There were nice views of the lake from some of the pools. We stayed for about 2 hours hopping from pool to pool.

We bought groceries at Pak n Save (more ghetto than Countdown) and we ate chicken schnitzel, a pasta mix, and spinach for dinner, which we cooked in the YHA hostel kitchen. The YHA hostel was very nice- very new with a mixed clientele, some younger and some much older people, and we had a double room with an en-suite bathroom for about $80 NZ.


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