Epic New Zealand Road Trip - Karangahake and Hot Water Beach

Feb 16th & 17th
The kitchen provided us with cereals, bread, and coffee for breakfast. We ate and took it easy before checking out. We decided to skip the Hobbiton and went for a Windows Walk hike at Karangahake Gorge.

After the walk, we went across the street for lunch at a picturesque setting where we saw a 20-million-year-old petrified tree from Indonesia. We shared desserts and it was hard to pick among the many delicious-looking choices, but we managed. 

We drove on to Hot Water Beach in Hahei, our last stay in New Zealand, about three hours away. We checked in, rented a shovel, and took a bus to town where we began our walk to Cathedral Cove. Liên and I went into the water and that felt very good because the weather was hot. Even though we were short on time to catch the last bus, we made sure to stop at both Stingray Bay and Gemstone Bay on our way back. We didn’t miss the bus. 

We had the most ordinary dinner of all dinners we had in New Zealand: fish and chips. Then we set out for the Hot Water Beach two hours before low tide. We were lucky because we found an empty dug-out spot that was big enough for the four of us. We lay down side by side and enjoyed the hot water coming up from underneath. We used our shovel now and then to dig deeper and get more warm water. What surprised us was that the water temperature can vary quite a bit depending on where you sit. Water could be comfortable in one spot, and yet a bit too warm if we moved one body over. We lay in our “hot tub” and enjoyed listening to the waves while looking up at the stars and moon. 

We regretted having to leave, but we had to go eventually. In the morning when we dropped Debbie off at the office to check out, we talked about leaving her there and driving off to the airport without her, because she was sad about ending the vacation and leaving New Zealand. But that didn’t happen. All of us made it to the airport to return the car and fly out. The four of us split up into three flights. When Debbie and I got to LAX, we had to get our luggage to go through customs. At that point, we decided to keep our luggage with us. When we got to our home airport, I got a message from American Airlines telling me that our luggage was delayed. But that didn’t matter. We had made the right decision.

Tomorrow

I close the last chapter

And open the new one

In anticipation of something grand

I’m a little afraid

But optimism and faith

Will guide me all the way

What obstacles there are

I won’t be dissuaded

Because you are beside me

When the curve balls fly

I’ll be ready to get them

With your steady hand on mine

When in bed at nights

Sweet dreams will replace

Chaos that do not calm me

I’m thankful for you

The love that embraces

And holds me upright

I face the world anew

With courage and grace

Tomorrow is another day

Epic New Zealand Road Trip - Thermal Wonderland and Zorbing

Feb 15th
It was going to be a more relaxing day, but it was packed with activities. We checked out of Plateau Lodge in the Tongariro National Park to head north to visit the Thermal Wonderland in Waiotapu. On the way, we stopped at a coffee shop where they topped our coffee cups with pieces of licorice. The first thing we did at Thermal Wonderland was visiting Lady Knox Geyser. After watching her induced eruption at 10:15am, we walked around the geothermal park to see its collapsed craters, mud pools, sulphurous pools, lakes, hot springs, waterfalls, vents, sulphur crystals, and more in a showcase of vivid colors.

This is a mud pool.

We then drove on to Rotorua where we stopped at the Polynesian Spa in hope for a massage for each of us, but could not book them. We ate lunch and booked two private hot pools for later. Then we went zorbing. None of us had “zorb” before and nothing in our imagination could have prepared us the experience of being in a giant plastic ball, partly filled with water, rolling down a hill. We split up into two pairs and went down a zig-zag hill. I was thinking that was enough for me, but when Liên and Satomi said they wanted to do it again, I agreed to go on another round with three people. This time we chose a straight hill. It was more fun with three people and this time we were able to videotape ourselves using Debbie’s cell phone with a waterproof case.

We checked in our rental apartment. Debbie and I stayed back to organize and relax while Liên and Satomi went to the Whakarewarewa Redwood Forest to see it in the daylight. When they got back, we returned to the Polynesian Spa for our private hot pools. We were there early and had time to peruse the gift shop where Liên found a swimsuit to her liking. I bought it as a birthday gift for her. The private hot pool was very nice and we wish we had more time. 

We decided to leave the car at the Spa and walked to town from there for dinner. The restaurant of our choice happens to be in a very lively square with tons of restaurants, shops, and people. They didn’t have a table for us right away, so we picked a quieter place with fewer patrons. That was okay because the food at Ambrosia was very good and we shared another delicious cheese board.   

After dinner we went to the Whakarewarewa Redwood Forest to do the Redwoods Treewalk in the dark. We waited forever in line and when it was finally our turn, it was almost as if we were all alone in the forest. I suppose there is some magic in the dark, I do wish to see it in the day light also.