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Due to our white water rafting adventure being cancelled we decided to make the most of the geothermal area and indulge in a bit of pampering at the hellsgate geothermal park and spa. Here we had a mud bath, sulphur bath and foot pool experience as well as walking round the site looking at the mud volcano and the worlds hottest waterfall. Hells gate is a reserve set in 50acres of steaming fumeroles and pools of boiling mud so violent we had to stand back even on the viewing platform! Back in the day, George Bernard shaw looked in awe at the hell like landscape and gave the reserve its famous name- hells gate.
Our mud bath was great in an outdoor setting with the natural silk like mud being rated as some of the finest in the world and the steaming sulphur pools used for over 800years and treasured by the maori people as a place of healing and revitilising- warriors would bathe in these to heal their wounds after battle and remove the 'tapu' of war. We felt like ladies of leisure as we sat outdoors looking at the scenery covered in mud which made us soft and silky. I forgot to take off my jewelry in the sulphur pools though and my rings went black!
We came home and had tea as a group of Mexican burritios and tacos made by the lovely Chelsea but beforehand lucy gemma and I took ali to get wine from the shop, she didn't really know where we were going as she is Korean and doesn't speak a word of English which is hard but we tried to take her under our wing. She bought some wine and was drunk on 1 glass as she was trying to keep up with us although we only had bucks fizz and hers was stronger, it was so funny as when we all went on the trampoline later she bounced off backwards squeeling in Korean and landed in the bushes, I tried to get to her to see if she was ok but I was bent over double laughing. The trampoliojne was fun and we were soon joined by the rest of the group in the pitch black in the hostel garden,id love a trampoline! Afterwards we sneaked into the swimming pool in the dark and then relaxed in our private hot tub to finish our day of luxury under the stars! This is standard in roturua not luxury though due to all the natural thermal pools- most motels have a hot pool in their rooms it was great!
We set off the next day and stopped for a photo with Gollum stature from lord of the rings before being joined by 11 new comers to the group- it was uncanny that a girl we traveled oz with happened to get on the bus, small world. We checked in to our bay of islands motel and shared a room with lucy (oxford) and Sandra (from switzeland) and watched NZ soaps with fish and chips whilst painting our nails. A maori boy asked for our number today- we haven't lost it ;-) haha. He didn't get it.
The next day we wandered to town and enquired about jetskiing but it was shut for the season but we walked to the guys house and he agreed to take us onto the lake for a go. We read the instructions at the harbour and the dangers of collisions about where we could go to avoid other boats and rocks etc. We got on and gemma got on the back as I drove over the lake very slowly trying to get used to it but it felt like it was going to tip over in the waves and land on us! I picked up my confidence after going on the instructors jetski where he taught me how to build up speed and take the corners. After I had a bit of practice he was laughing and calling me a maniac as I was buzzing him tround on the jetski like a natural! Then gem and I got on the same one again and she was screaming as I reached 78kmp! I loved this it made me feel free and exhilarated and for once I wasn't scared! We were storming over the water and slamming against the waves and I would just keep shouting 'lean left!' and then twist it round to the left. At one point though gemma was my eyes as the visibility was really poor due to the rain stinging in my eyes. I LOVED this I wish I had one! Afterwards we sat in a NZ pub beer garden for a drink and chatted to the locals whilst watching lucy and Sandra doing para-sailing. Tonight we had entrees of cheese and biscuits then a bbq with beef and courgette rissoles and chicken satay with pine nut and spinach salad- yum. Bay of islands is a pretty place and there are dolphins in the lake! I hope I didn't hit one with my jetski!
We are inAuklland at the moment- or ';city of sails' as the harbour is full of sailing boats and yaughts. We have been budgeting bigtime so reading lots in our hostel and eating noddle again as well as chatting with our roommates in the dorm. The foo fighters are playing a concert so the hostel is choc a block.
Jodi picoult (my fave author) is doing a discussion group and book signing here next week but we will be long gone which issahme as I would love to have spoken to her about the book I have just read! I have read 4 novels on this trip and im itching for more! It sbeen raining quite a lot in aukland but we have been having lie-ins for the first time in about 3 weeks and yesterday we took shelter in a cosy isiah pub with an open fire and treated ourselves to a Sunday roast! Last night we went ot the quiz with alan, eliose, mark, james and Laurence but we didn't win boo hoo. I was going to sign up for a meditation class but I went to the quiz instead. Going to fiji tomorrow for sunbathing so there probably wont be much updates as I cant afford to do anything but lie in the sun now! byeeeeeeeee, excited about coming home! xxx
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