June and July are filled with birthdays and we found ourselves getting out and about every weekend. Gail returned from Arizona at the end of May and it seemed that we made up for lost time by getting together with the Whites almost weekly for walks, marathon games of bridge or Trivial Pursuit. Also attended a Roger Hall play put on by Papakura group in the town's new theatre. Hall is NZ's version of Neil Simon, so the play, The Share Club, had a lot of NZ humor.
Gail wasn't here over our summer holiday and then she was gone during the two week break in May. So, even though it is the mid of winter we went on a vacation during the mid-term break which is one week off school in July. The second school term goes from May to Sept. Since it is cold, wet and dark it is felt that every one can use a break.
We drove to Rotorua. Walked down Hinemoa's Steps which are carved into the cliff face, to see a rather small waterfall and explore a likewise smallish cave. Explored the river and several trout pools before checking into a motel. Spent a good deal of time in the heated pool (outdoor) before jumping into the spa attached to our room. Nice place - chalet style room with a bedroom upstairs that overlooked the lounge. Turned out that there was a bowling alley across the road, so that fixed our evening. David beat me first game and Renee got a new personal high.
 Next morning the region was thick with fog, so that we almost cancelled plans to see Hell's Gate. But we bundled up and spent an hour walking thru the thermal area. No geysers, but plenty of boiling pools and mud. About 10th time we have been to Rotorua and still haven't been to all the sites. From there we drove to east coast and Gisborne. Straight into the spa.
It was our anniversary, so Gail and I went to a French restaurant.
About an hour's drive down the coast we found in the middle of the bush the Morere Hot Springs. Outdoor swimming pool, a large covered hot springs pool and two private spas. Fifteen minutes down (or was it up?) a trail and in the midst of nikau palms were three hot plunge pools.  The place is a national park and is run by the Dept of Conservation so it lacked the touristy capitalism gloss. It also lacked the high prices being about one fifth the cost of other such places.
 David and I decided to do the two hour tramp along the stream, which was very picturesque with many waterfalls and rapids. A tremendously steep climb to get to a main ridge almost did me in. We stopped for a snack and the rain came. Luckily, it was an easy downhill trail and we were able to double-time it back and a lovely half-hour soak in a private spa. Apparently the spring is from seawater trapped 20 million years ago and has been bubbling up ever since. It had a salty taste, but not like regular seawater. And it had a kerosene smell about it. For all you geo-chemists out there the rock is paparock and water is calcic-sodic muriated rascent iodine which is apparently similar to a famous spa, Kreuznach, in Switzerland.
It was David's 17th birthday and he wanted to eat at Pizza Hut, so that's where we went when we got back from the Springs. Had a bit of party in the room - no cake, so I put a candle into a banana. Gave him a board game, Hero's Quest, which is like Dungeons and Dragons...A wizard, an elf, a hero and a dwarf try to find someone being held captive in a dungeon and then free him. We played the simplest version and enjoyed it a lot.
Began our return home the following day by doing the East Coast coast road. 5.5 hours between major towns along the shore part of the time. Had a good view of White Island with its volcano shooting out steam. Ended up in a paper mill town of Kawerau and straight into the motel's heated pool.
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Next morning the region was thick with fog, so that we almost cancelled plans to see Hell's Gate. But we bundled up and spent an hour walking thru the thermal area. No geysers, but plenty of boiling pools and mud. About 10th time we have been to Rotorua and still haven't been to all the sites. From there we drove to east coast and Gisborne. Straight into the spa.
It was our anniversary, so Gail and I went to a French restaurant.
About an hour's drive down the coast we found in the middle of the bush the Morere Hot Springs. Outdoor swimming pool, a large covered hot springs pool and two private spas. Fifteen minutes down (or was it up?) a trail and in the midst of nikau palms were three hot plunge pools. 
The place is a national park and is run by the Dept of Conservation so it lacked the touristy capitalism gloss. It also lacked the high prices being about one fifth the cost of other such places.
David and I decided to do the two hour tramp along the stream, which was very picturesque with many waterfalls and rapids. A tremendously steep climb to get to a main ridge almost did me in. We stopped for a snack and the rain came. Luckily, it was an easy downhill trail and we were able to double-time it back and a lovely half-hour soak in a private spa. Apparently the spring is from seawater trapped 20 million years ago and has been bubbling up ever since. It had a salty taste, but not like regular seawater. And it had a kerosene smell about it. For all you geo-chemists out there the rock is paparock and water is calcic-sodic muriated rascent iodine which is apparently similar to a famous spa, Kreuznach, in Switzerland.
It was David's 17th birthday and he wanted to eat at Pizza Hut, so that's where we went when we got back from the Springs. Had a bit of party in the room - no cake, so I put a candle into a banana. Gave him a board game, Hero's Quest, which is like Dungeons and Dragons...A wizard, an elf, a hero and a dwarf try to find someone being held captive in a dungeon and then free him. We played the simplest version and enjoyed it a lot.
Began our return home the following day by doing the East Coast coast road. 5.5 hours between major towns along the shore part of the time. Had a good view of White Island with its volcano shooting out steam. Ended up in a paper mill town of Kawerau and straight into the motel's heated pool.
