A day of two springs

A motivating factor for me in our hike on Mt Te Aroha yesterday was the thought of their famous mineral springs. Their famed waters are crystal clear, and bicarbonate. There's no sulfur smell or discoloration, which they vaunt over Rotorua hot baths. The soda water is supposed to be especially good for sore muscles, and my feet, ankles, calves, knees, hips and quads were all sore.

Sadly, when we finally reached the base of the mountain, the baths were all booked. So we made a reservation this morning just before heading out.

They were as lovely as advertised. Crystal clear, the perfect temperature, each tub is a private room. And it felt great on my aching muscles.

Then it was a quick drive down to Hobbiton. Of course I had to see the Shire. It was a rainy misty day all over this region. At some points the fog was incredibly thick, and once on the tour, we took umbrellas. It would take more than rain to affect the charmingness of tiny hobbit holes though. There was quite a bit of interesting trivia over several items about the set, but tonight is too late for me to write in detail.

Because after Hobbiton we got on the road again and headed for Rotorua. We've landed in Rotorua Thermal Holiday Park, which had its own springs free for the soaking. They are quite terrific, and not nearly as stinky as the "Naffa" springs we hit first. We're both pretty sure that doing our laundry with the Naffa swimsuits in it, has given a faint stink to all of our clothes.

Certainly the whole town here has a sulfury smell though. And driving in, it was hard to tell what was fog coming down, and what was steam coming up all around. We have three geological parks we plan to visit in the next two days, full of geysers, mud volcanoes, hot springs, and the world's largest boiling lake.

Time for me to get my 9 hours.Read more