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Hey dudes
So, East As, this was a unique 4 day, 3 night add on trip around the East Cape which takes you to places few tourists get to see, you stay in small communities and experience Maori culture as a living reality.This trip was very chilled out and was just what the doctor ordered after 3 very challenging days!!!
Our driver was called Andy (a lady with sooo much energy and the best laugh I have ever heard! Hearing her laugh, would always make me laugh too!) Anyway, there was also a guy called Eddie, training to do Andy's job and he was great fun too!!
As I was saying the trip was all about chilling out, so you can imagine our horror when some loud mouthed American (from Hawaii) got on the bus at 9am in the morning and shouted 'let's make this the best fu*king bus ever!!' We were like….what the !?!!
We spent the morning travelling via Rotorua and the Lakes District to Whakatane (pronounced f***er-tar-nee) how cool is that! (Mum, I might use that as a replacement swear word for f*ck and then you can't tell me off because it's actually a place!!!)From there it was a short trip up the coast to Opotiki and then on to Te Kaha where we spent our first night at Te Kaha Homestead Lodge.
You can imagine our delight when we arrived to cups of tea and home made banana cake!! The hot tub overlooking the ocean was also a bonus!! However I didn't get a chance to watch the sunset from the tub because little Miss Hawaii got together with a local lad (who she'd met half an hour previously) and the two of them got it on in there!! This my friends is the reason why the Kiwi Bus has a reputation throughout NZ as the 'big green fu*k truck' and the 'p**** express' and the reason why local guys cheer and wave every time we drive into a new town!! Despite not having a seat in the hot tub the sunset was absolutely spectacular and afterwards we feasted on home made grub which was sensational!! We had a really fun evening getting to know each other and a relatively early night! Sophie and I upgraded to a double room again! (yes we do deserve our nickname of flashpackers) and we had a great night's kip!!
The next morning we followed the coastline south to Rangitukia, stopping along the way to take in the beautiful coastal scenery and for icecreams!! So much for sticking to rabbit food on this mini trip!! Andy our driver included at least one icercream stop each day!! We arrived at Rangitukia - the Eastenders Farm in the afternoon and whilst there was an option of horse riding, I decided to just chill out!!
Charlotte, Lucy & I chatted all afternoon soaking up the sun and drinking tea and eating hot cross buns! It seemed our decision to pass on the horse riding was definitely a good one because half of the group came back very upset.One girl got thrown off three times and if one horse ran off the rest followed so there was a lot of very scared and upset backpackers returning to the farm and understandably so. When it got dark, team Canada started a camp fire and we toasted marshmallows; another relatively chilled night in preparation for an early start in the morning.
We woke up at 6am the next day and walked up a short track to the top of a nearby hill where we would have been among the first in the world to see in the new day.Only it was cloudy!! We were all very disappointed, and returned back to our beds for a couple of hours kip before setting off to Napier.En route we went to Tologa Bay and New Zealand's longest wharf.
We also stopped in at Eddie's Dad's place for tea!! I don't think he could believe his eyes when he saw 22 backpackers outside his house! He was lovely though and his lovely puppy seemed to take a liking to me! It sat on my lap for pretty much the whole time we were there.
Next stop was Whangara, which is one of the most culturally and historically significant places on the East Coast and where the movie 'Whale Rider' was filmed. If you haven't seen this movie you really should, it is amazing, although it will make you cry!We were given a full tour of the Marae by a local lady (A Marae is the basis of traditional Maori community life. It is the local people's home and where official functions, such as celebrations, weddings, christenings, funerals take place).We had to sing a song together and we chose 'stand by me' it was a pretty out of tune but we gave it our best! Team Hawaii wound everyone up by taking photos inside the Marae which we were strictly told not to do, she also kept asking loads of annoying questions therefore on the way into Tatapouri, the decision was made to play American idiot in the bus!! We all found it very funny but she didn't realize the joke was on her and sat there singing along totally oblivious!!
Late in the afternoon we arrived at Tatapouri and stayed in an awesome house!!! We got ready for a night at the local pub and Lucy and I had the barbeque that was on offer!! The sausages were out of this world! I've never tasted such a succulent sausage !! ;-) We all downed our drinks and put the leftovers in a communal empty bottle to be passed around the bus on the way there!!! Everyone was in high spirits on the way to the pub, we enjoyed the song 'American idiot' again and once at the pub we played the legendary 'I have never'.
Now for you oldies out there this drinking game consist of each person saying something such as 'I have never…….shagged a sheep' and if you've done the thing the person has said you have to drink!! I have played this game several times over the past few years but never has soooo much been revealed in one game!! Amongst other things, one guy confessed to having his arse licked by a dog whilst he was giving his girlfriend a good rogering on the living room floor!!
Anyway on the way back to the hostel/house the bus was carnage!! I was made to sing 'creep' again! It wasn't as powerful as the first effort but still equally entertaining for everyone on the bus!! We went on a mission for KFC/Mcdonalds/BK but they were all shut so we charged off the bus at a petrol station shouting pies and the lucky first few that arrived got the last few! I had to make do with crisps and cookies!! Back at the house we had tea and went to bed!! I was feeling rather gassy and spent the entire night farting!! Luckily my room mates, found it funny and we spent the whole night giggling!
The next day Sophie and I chilled on the beach whilst some of the gang fed sting rays! The last day was quite frustrating for us all. Our driver got lost so we spent the majority of the day (it was a very hot day by the way) on the bus! And as you know us brits love to moan so that's pretty much what we did all day!! We got rid of team Hawaii though, she decided to stay on at the house a few more nights! Woo hoo!!
On the way back to Taupo, we listened to my iPod (school reunion disco stuff) the bus wasn't impressed with my tunes but Andy and I were jigging away! And when I put on I've had the time of my life (dirty dancing) everyone was loving it!
My tummy was still misbehaving though and although I tried to hold in my wind it got to the point where I was in so much pain I though sod it and silently let rip!!! Lucy (who had the pleasure of being in the bunk above me the night before) suddenly yelled out 'Michelle is that you!!!?!'Ooppps, busted,it seemed Lucy recognized my flavour !! Sophie and I were crying with laugher, infact it hurt we laughed so much and just writing this is making me laugh out loud! (getting funny looks by the guy opposite!!) Anyway Andy sprayed air freshener but it was too late, the smell had been sucked in by the aircon and was being blown out throughout the bus!! The decision was made to evacuate the bus!! It couldn't' have been at a better time really as my bladder was full too so I had a quick wee behind a bush!! Classy lady I hear you say!!
When we arrived back in Taupo we said our goodbyes and Sophie and I chilled out in our double room with a TV!! We watched the NZ equivalent to the bill, the acting was awful! And eventually fell asleep even though our room was shaking from the nightclub below!! Happy days!!
Until next time take care of yourself and each other…sweet as! xxxxxxxx
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