NZ trip pt I
day 1 - fri 10/12
arrived in auckland, rented the car, bought groceries (because the country has not very palatable food and it's hard to get asian spices out of auckland) and cruised off to rotorua. knew i was in rotorua by the fragrant aroma of rotten eggs. wafting off the numerous hot springs. i guess the plus point there is that if you fart, it wouldn't be as noticeable, so less of a faux pas.
"hey...who let 1 rip?!?!"
doer take a sniff innocently and comment "are you sure you aren't just smelling the sulphur?"
anyhow, we got to rotorua and checked in at the cedarwood lakeside resort, which is about 7-8 km from what is called the city centre. for a true blue city-dweller (me), calling that a city centre seems quite laughable. the city centre has about 30-40 shops. it's like the size of the shopping area in 1 of the medium sized burbs in sydney.
day 2 - sat 11/12
we get rolling at about 11+. yes, i know, we aren't early birds... it's a bloody HOLIDAY for goodness' sake. we went to the NZ maori art and crafts insitute, where we first saw this song and dance performance in their great hall thingy. of course, there was the ubiquitous haka. according to my mom, a few of the songs they sang are campfire songs that she remembers from her school days, all those millenia ago. apparently the maori great halls are like the community centre/funeral home/church/school and above all, the womb of the first ancestor. which is why one should always be respectful within them. also saw some geysers and mudpools in the whakarewarewa thermal reserve. the landscape looks rather alien, i must admit. kinda like what you'd expect the surface of some other planet to be.
day 3 - sun 12/12
it was an extremely lazy day. all we did was go to this quaint little engine museum. saw interesting engines from the 19th century and went on a choo choo train :D
in the 2nd instalment, i shall talk about my zorbing and bungy jumping experience. the 3rd instalment will be about my visit to hobbiton (you know.. the shire LOTR: fellowship of the ring) and the last instalment shall cover my stay in waitomo..
arrived in auckland, rented the car, bought groceries (because the country has not very palatable food and it's hard to get asian spices out of auckland) and cruised off to rotorua. knew i was in rotorua by the fragrant aroma of rotten eggs. wafting off the numerous hot springs. i guess the plus point there is that if you fart, it wouldn't be as noticeable, so less of a faux pas.
"hey...who let 1 rip?!?!"
doer take a sniff innocently and comment "are you sure you aren't just smelling the sulphur?"
anyhow, we got to rotorua and checked in at the cedarwood lakeside resort, which is about 7-8 km from what is called the city centre. for a true blue city-dweller (me), calling that a city centre seems quite laughable. the city centre has about 30-40 shops. it's like the size of the shopping area in 1 of the medium sized burbs in sydney.
day 2 - sat 11/12
we get rolling at about 11+. yes, i know, we aren't early birds... it's a bloody HOLIDAY for goodness' sake. we went to the NZ maori art and crafts insitute, where we first saw this song and dance performance in their great hall thingy. of course, there was the ubiquitous haka. according to my mom, a few of the songs they sang are campfire songs that she remembers from her school days, all those millenia ago. apparently the maori great halls are like the community centre/funeral home/church/school and above all, the womb of the first ancestor. which is why one should always be respectful within them. also saw some geysers and mudpools in the whakarewarewa thermal reserve. the landscape looks rather alien, i must admit. kinda like what you'd expect the surface of some other planet to be.
day 3 - sun 12/12
it was an extremely lazy day. all we did was go to this quaint little engine museum. saw interesting engines from the 19th century and went on a choo choo train :D
in the 2nd instalment, i shall talk about my zorbing and bungy jumping experience. the 3rd instalment will be about my visit to hobbiton (you know.. the shire LOTR: fellowship of the ring) and the last instalment shall cover my stay in waitomo..
