Partiers Annoy While Maori Delight
In which I get the grumps, meet some Maori people & eat their food and stand in the eggy steam of some more geothermal features.
8 April 2011 - 0132 New Zealand
No climbing. Serge the Ukrainian was too tired for it, which is completely understandable. I don’t know why I wasn’t too tired really. I’m tired now. Trying to sleep but a local bar is insisting on playing music out on the street, or at least keeping it’s doors open. Very inconsiderate. I’m much more unhappy about the inconsideration rather than being kept awake. Even with earplugs, I can hear the music booming and the place’s patrons yelling at one another. I’ll be asking to move rooms in the morning. Honestly, the nerve!
0251
Ten to 3 in the morning and they’re playing The Rivers of fricking Babylon! That’s not funny! That’s just a piss take. Urge to kill rising…
0254
Now theres some idiot sitting outside on a bike or in a noisy stationary vehicle and leaving the engine running. What is the matter with some people?! SWITCH THE DAMN ENGINE OFF OR SOD OFF HOME! I hoping that in five minutes time, the license to irritate the neighbours runs out and I can start trying to get some sleep. What’s the point in having a hostel here if you can’t bloody sleep in it. It’s a valuable lesson learnt on this trip. The saving of staying in hostels is negated by the comfort lost. It’s not worth the saving.
Now… Two minutes to 3 and I dare say, sense has prevailed. The music has stopped. Perhaps a fellow hostel guest went and strangled the DJ. I applaud you sir. Ok, all clear I think. Goodnight Earth!
1442
Well, I’ve been to reception and they’ve moved me to a different room. I have an entire 4 bed dorm room to myself on the opposite side of the building. And very nice it is too.
Anyway, enough whinging. Today, I’ve been to Whakarewarewa, a living Maori village set in a steamy geothermal village. Upon arrival, I was shown around the village by a resident who explained a bit about village life and pointed out some of the more interesting geothermal attractions (the most interesting being a natural pool of crystal clear water that was at a constant 100 degrees Celsius). He then took the group into the performance room where traditional dances and songs were performed. These were brilliant! Then, I went to the village cafe to have a Hāngi lunch, a meal of chicken, pork and vegetables cooked by the geothermal activity alone. Everything was overcooked and the entire meal had a distinct sense of being prepared by a grandmother, but I enjoyed it for its novelty and cultural significance. Then, I went on a nature walk to check out some more geothermal pools and lakes. In all, it was a great excursion and one I highly recommend.
2213
Very comfortable in my new room so far. The tv lounge is just along to corridor so that’s a bit noisy but I fall asleep well enough in front of the tv at home so no concerns.
I came back from the Maori village and had a nap. After that, I popped to the Pak’nSave and got some more fruit. Can’t get enough of the stuff. Let’s hope it continues. Then, on the way back, I turned left instead of right and found myself at Government Gardens, a strange mix of old English bowling greens, a grand museum building and large gaping holes in the ground billowing steam. I stayed and watched the steam blow around in the wind and catch the light of the setting sun. For a short time, I was hypnotised.
Tomorrow, my last day in Rotorua is to be spent at Wai-O-Tapu, another geothermal reserve. This one boasts a full spectrum of colours being produced by the minerals and violent bubbling mud pools. That should take me to lunchtime. Then, who knows. Going back to do some more luging is a distinct possibility.
