There were a few places I wanted to visit in Rotorua before I scurried out of there to head south to Taihape. Staying at the hostiles they often have deals. I booked one for Hell's Gate. It was a self tour around their thermal active grounds, a mud bath, and a sulphur bath for $85. I knew I got a heck of a deal when I arrived at the entrance to check in and an Australian couple next to me ordered the same thing and their total was $310. The man was funny, he said $310? Crikey, I don't want to buy the place. I giggled under my breath. It amazed me that you can have green rolling hills and then bam! An active thermal ground right next to it.
The mud bath was my favorite. What tom girl who played with mud and dirt when she was little wouldn't enjoy this? I was in heaven!! There were two other girls in a different section and they were saying how gross it was. Again, I laughed. What were they expecting??
Then about 45 minutes later your back in the green rolling hills again.
The mud bath was my favorite. What tom girl who played with mud and dirt when she was little wouldn't enjoy this? I was in heaven!! There were two other girls in a different section and they were saying how gross it was. Again, I laughed. What were they expecting??
Once your time was up in the mud bath you had to take a cold shower and they warned you ahead of time. I had no idea how cold was cold...a couple that was in the next section over were showering and you could hear her screaming and him shouting how bloody cold it was. I geared up for my time. Let's just say it was the quickest shower I've ever taken.
Then off to the sulphur bath. True, it smelled just like sulphur but the entire location did. All the steam that you see in these and other pictures to come below all put off sulphur. Soaking in the sulphur bath I was able to enjoy the warmth of it, made my skin so soft, and was able to laugh at those taking their cold showers. Ahh the pleasures of others misfortunes. :0)
I lookd down at my watch and knew it was time to go. I had one more place to visit as well as a three hour drive to make it to my hostile by 5pm.
I showered and changed and was on my way. Side note: The one thing the employees did not warn me about...I would smell like sulphur for days.
I heard such wonderful things of Wai-O-Tapu and had to go. Alex, my dorm buddy,gave me a heads up about Lady Knox Geyser that goes off everyday at 10:15. He had already visited the grounds. It actually only does it naturally every 72 hours so the employees have to put baking soda in it to make it react for the crowd. He said the place is packed then. Knowing this info I decided to forgo the geyser and went later during the day. Hell's Gate first, then Wai-O-Tapu.
I heard such wonderful things of Wai-O-Tapu and had to go. Alex, my dorm buddy,gave me a heads up about Lady Knox Geyser that goes off everyday at 10:15. He had already visited the grounds. It actually only does it naturally every 72 hours so the employees have to put baking soda in it to make it react for the crowd. He said the place is packed then. Knowing this info I decided to forgo the geyser and went later during the day. Hell's Gate first, then Wai-O-Tapu.
The picture of me standing there is actually a funny one. The sulphur that was being released was in such abundance the gal that took this picture of me had to wait for about a full minute for the sulphur steam to break. We were laughing so hard. It wouldn't let up, we were all engulfed in it. The shower I took at Hell's Gate had just been voided.
Back on the road I passed a place called Lake Taupo. It was breathtaking and kept asking myself why am I not staying here tonight. I can't express how gorgeous it was. The highway took me almost all the way around as I was driving south to Taihape.
Back on the road I passed a place called Lake Taupo. It was breathtaking and kept asking myself why am I not staying here tonight. I can't express how gorgeous it was. The highway took me almost all the way around as I was driving south to Taihape.
All of a sudden you hit this...brown dessert. This is Tongariro National Park. NZ suprised me again. I had this dessert pictureque on one side this this beautiful mountian with snow one the other side. Amazing!!
Then about 45 minutes later your back in the green rolling hills again.
As I was getting closer to Taihape I saw a sign for River Valley Lodge, my destination. I didn't make reservations but knew there were a ways out there and figured I would be safe. The only thing was they closed at 5pm. Their signs were all over the place but I missed the very last one. The last 50 min to the lodge is windy roads so I missed the turn off. I kept going. The photo below you can see it's a gravel road I was on and if you look really close you can see the road.
"Lee", my GPS guide, didn't know what to make of it. For those that know me understand I have no sense for direction. When I feel like I should go one way that really means I probably should go the opposite. I was getting very frustrated because it was now 5pm. I saw a house and drove up to it on a hill and it was abandoned. I thought well if worse comes to worse...I know a place I can crash.
I turned around and went back till I found the sign again. Then the last 5k was on a steep downgrade gravel road. Now driving through all this gravel one of my rental car tire's was squealing. I got out twice to see if it was flat. Nope, it was fine, just squealing. Sounded like a rock got lodged in somewhere.
Once I got there I was in awe. It was breathtaking, better than I could have dreamed of. It's surrounded by tress, rolling hills, a water fall, and a river.
I arrived there at 5:30 and what a blessing the office was still open. She even told me perfect timing I was about to close up. She had a dorm room that sleeps 6 with only person in there at the time and it was a girl, Katarhina.
The place was huge. Take a look at the website. Amazing!
I met Katharina and told her I was going to take a shower because I smell like eggs from hanging out in sulphur all day. I went and showered and was quickly reminded this was a co-ed facility. In the next shower stall was a guy. I just looked over and said hello and continued. After, I could still smell it on my skin. I sprayed and lathered up with Bath and Body but I don't think it did much. I got my PJs on and headed back to the room.
Katharina and I then went to the kitchen in the lodge. I needed food since it had been awhile since I ate lunch and I was running a half marathon the next day. The plans were to have a decent dinner. We ate vegetarian keesh, soo good.
Katharina told me about a guy named Simon Ousager who she met on her plane from Hong Kong to Auckland. They were driving to the South Island together.
He's 24, marathon/triathlete, biologist working on his masters in microbiology, from Copenhagen, Denmark, and funny as all get out!! Yes, I had a crush!
There was a bunch of us that hung out in the lodge until about 1. In the black and white photo are two sheep herders that had been drinking a few. I just couldn't stop staring at his short shorts. The funny thing is you can't tell but his stripped socks were different colors too. Just an odd bird all together. The other farmer that is in the picture with Simon never spoke. I think the only thing I got out of him was his name is Ethan. I was joking around with him that when he's by himself he lets loose and loves to dance around.
I was telling Simon and Katharina about my balance bracelet and did the balance test on him. He's solid! I high fived him!
Off to bed since I had to leave early the next morning for my half marathon. This is was my view from my dorm.
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