Rotorua Weekend

One week of work down! I’m now ready for the weekend! Two hours inland from the Napier/Hastings area is Rotorua-the most touristed spot on the North Island. The first thing I noticed when stepping out of the car upon our arrival is the sulfurous (rotten egg) smell. This is due to the numerous geysers, hot springs and mud pools in the area. Our first attraction Saturday morning was The Zorb. Even though it was a rainy day, our enthusiasm for this event did not waver. Zorbing involves climbing into a big bubble and rolling down the hill. You can choose to be strapped into the bubble and roll down the course, or you can choose the water bubble and slosh your way down the course. I decided to go with the water bubble down the zig zag course. It’s only 180 meters long, but as I was tumbling around in the water it seemed a lot longer. At the end, as I was still trying to regain my balance, I was asked to smile for the cameraman, before sliding out of the bubble. There have only been a handful of people, besides the staff, who have been able to stay on their feet the entire ride down. I think I managed to stay up for 1 ½ seconds before I went down. I may need a little more practice! The whole zorbing experience reminded me of one of Jackie Chan's movies where he escapes from the bad guys using a big bubble to run down the mountain. I bet they got that idea from the Zorb.

Later that day, Parag was dropped off at Te Puia to learn more about the Maori culture, as the girls headed to the Polynesian Spa. We spent the rest of the afternoon enjoying a view of Lake Taupo from the hot pools. We also met Gabriel, a fellow spa goer, who engaged us in conversation. He told us he usually avoids speaking to Americans because they are very suspicious of strangers. I guess we looked less suspicious than the average American, because he seemed to go on talking forever. It was difficult not be the stereotypical rude American and walk away as he was speaking.