Rotorua - Tauranga

Trip Start Nov 04, 2007
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Trip End Dec 06, 2007


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Friday, November 16, 2007

A bit of a relaxing day. We spent most of it in the Waikite geothermal pools. Very pleasant but it doesn't make for very good blog reading. Although we did encounter Thomas, aged 2, who was either a boy who his parents wished was a girl or a girl who her parents wished was a boy. You be the judge. Yasmin enjoyed playing ball with Thomas, who Daddy called a girl on account of her looks and who Mummy called a boy on account of his name. Yasmin didn't want to leave because she'd made friends with Thomas and we advised that she wouldn't see Thomas again once we departed for cooler waters. She does make friends quickly.
From there, we went back to Rotorua to have some lunch and visit St Faith's Anglican church with the glass etching of Jesus supposedly walking on the water. I'm not sure, but I think the lake has dropped a few feet since he was installed. He looked like he was walking on the shore unless you lowered your head to pew level Waikite
Waikite
 . Maybe only the pious kneelers saw Jesus as he was meant to be seen.
Then we took the long and arduous journey to Tauranga, via Kiwi 360, a shameless money extraction exercise. Apparently, the idea is to fool patrons into parting with $20 per person to visit a Kiwifruit shop. We got a photo outside the fruit in question and that was enough for us.
In Tauranga, we took a drive through the town, and stopped for a number of hours in the local Pak'N'Save, where we stocked up on supplies for our tea etc. But especially, and of note is that we purchased a Little PeopleŽ Farm set, consisting of a tractor, lady and cow. This replaced the cat...
We then spent the evening in the hotel, where we celebrated the turning of the first sod (purportedly), by consuming a bottle of Piper-Heidsieck Champagne Brut NV. I'm not sure, but I think Gavin consumed the lion's share. Perhaps that is why this blog makes no sense whatsoever.
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