Rotorua, Bay of Islands & Auckland!

Well, after my adrenaline rush in Taupo I was really in shock. It was a fantastic thing to do but I think I actually scared myself witless - hey ho!! We left Taupo and Paul drove us to Rotorua (I was in no fit state to drive!!) which is the home of all the geothermal activity, geysers, mud pools etc etc.

Strangely, half an hour after leaving Taupo I started sneezing like you wouldn't believe. I kept asking Paul if it was possible to catch a cold whilst free falling - he assured me he had never heard of it before!! Anyway so I sneezed my way into the hostel and had a lay down. However, one of my sneezes caught my back and I was again in a lot of pain. I can jump out of a plane from 15000ft but I can't handle sneezing!! Bizarre. So Paul asked what I wanted to do. So we decided to go for something to eat and went down the road to the Indian Palace and had a gorgeous curry. We then went from there to the Polynesian spa in the hope of getting me a massage to ease my back - however the health spa was closed so we just went and used the hot baths.

It is like stepping back in time. They remind you to remove all silver jewellery before getting in so I duly removed my rings, watch and necklace. Unfortunately, I have got so used to my toe ring I forgot to take it off and then panicked once in the water about my belly button. So we called it a night and got out. My toe ring was black but strangely my belly button was fine. Very strange (except not when you actually realise that they pierce you with surgical steel, not silver!!).

So to bed, and the plan to phone the spa at 8am to see if I could get a massage. I set my alarm confident that I would ring and then have no joy and be able to get back to sleep!! Oh No!! They could see me at 8.30 and I wasn't even packed. Paul was still asleep so we hurriedly checked out and made it there with 2 minutes to spare. I relaxed in the pools that are heated up to various temperatures the hottest being 42 degrees - how lovely was that - I've had colder baths!! And then my massage. Heaven!! She brushed me all over and then applied the magical mud to my back and left me there whilst giving me a head massage. Then she washed off the mud and started on my back - the pain was unbelievable - my back was (and probably is again by now!) so knotted from carrying my backpack that she detected it straight away. I was actually bruised after my massage but well worth every penny - pretty fab way to start Valentines day!!

So we left the spa and drove over to Te Puia which is a Maori Cultural Centre and also home to the Pohutu Geyser and a fantastic Maori concert. It was a brilliant couple of hours and the geyser was unbelievable - a real sight to see. The concert was excellent and prior to it you take part in a proper Maori tribal ritual which is very interesting. They performed the Haka which I videoed - and many more Maori songs. It was brilliant - highly recommended to anyone.

From there we drove to Auckland. All this time I had been sneezing like you wouldn't believe. It was like I had flu but without any other symptons. Strangely, half an hour out of Rotorua and it stopped. I think with hindsight that I am actually allergic to the Sulphur that pervades everywhere in Rotorua - it comes from all the hot pools and mud!! So my nose was very glad to leave although the rest of me was kind of sad to say goodbye.

Overnighted in Auckland purely to break the journey up to Paihia in the Bay of Islands. Nothing to tell about that bit as yet although a very amusing chinese meal was had on Valentines evening - amongst lots of loving couples there's me and Paul messing around and totally confusing people!!

Paihia - Wow! It is the most beautiful place I have been to in ages, purely cos it was HOT and had a BEACH! 2 things which I realise are pretty important to me in a holiday destination!! So we checked into the Pickled Parrot which is a fab backpackers just out of town that has no tv and is just great. We wandered down to the beach and sunbathed for a couple of hours. Needless to say, Paul got burnt. The milkbottle was becoming strawberry milkshake!! But it was heaven. We went for dinner at 35 degrees south which was a fab restaurant overlooking the jetty and the beach - gorgeous food and a warm evening for a change!!

And so to swimming with dolphins. We booked onto a boat trip for the next day to take us swimming with dolphins, up to the hole in the rock and then to a deserted island for lunch and back with another opportunity to swim with the dolphins. It is brilliant. You jump off the side of the boat kitted up with your snorkel and mask and flippers and swim as hard and fast as you can with the dolphins. Some people got really close but I didn't - still, just to be in the open waters with them was amazing. We met a great couple on the trip, Naomi & Jake who we ended up having dinner with that evening at the Swiss Cafe. A great evening to end a fantastic day.

And so to a 6am departure time in order to drive to Auckland and get the car back for 10am. Which we did, even if we did take it into town as we requested to do to find that we were supposed to deliver it to the airport - hey ho!! And then we went exploring. Checked into the ACB which is a fab hostel right in the centre of town and wandered down to the wharf. Sat and had coffee and watched the world go past. Then after a while we hopped on the free bus round town and went up to the Sky Tower, where Paul proceeded to do the Sky Jump where you basically do a guided Base Jump off it!! The nutter - one jump on my trip was enough for me!! Paul loved it which is good - totally different rush to sky diving evidently - I'll take his word for it!!

And then dinner and a few drinks for Pauls last night and back to the hostel. So the next morning Paul left for his mammoth journey home and I met a girl called Jess outside the hostel. We ended up going for a coffee which was actually more like 4 beers but hey, it was sunny and we were telling our life stories!! Chilled out in the evening and got up on sunday to do my washing and get ready to pack and then go climb the Sky Tower. Yes I climbed up the sky tower. I have attached photos for you!! It was brilliant and well worth doing. I was the only person doing it which meant that it was just 1 on 1 with the instructor and she was great.

Back to the hostel and packed all my stuff, met Jess for a drink and then met my new roommate for the night, Charlotte who is a month behind me on her trip and had just flown in. So we went for a walk got a chinese which was lovely and then went up the sky tower at night just to see how different it was. She is a real little sweetie who I am sure will have a fab time in Auckland.

Anyway, so to bed and got up this morning to check out and update this and find a way to fill 2 hours before I fly to Fiji this afternoon. I'm booked on the Feejee experience to start on Tuesday and then spending 5 nights in a place called Nananu-i-ra which I am really looking forward to.

So I will sign off here and update again in Fiji where I hope I will be able to log on.