29/08/2018 - Good mood in the laundromat

We left the volcanic plateau of the North Island behind us and woke up after a peaceful night in "Turangi". We were greeted by spring-like temperatures. Strengthened by breakfast, our first stop was supposed to be the local library. If it weren't for this pesky rooster, who thinks it's waking up all the campers with its crowing, only to then rummage through the cars for something edible... A few minutes later, the campground owner's cat came by and drove the cheerful cock away into the distance. ;) Now let's get going, off to the library - turn on the electronics and upload a new blog.
Once that was done, we continued our journey north. Only after 160km, passing meadows, green hills, and dense forest, did the trip end for now near "Putaruru". Here we visited "The Blue Spring" in the afternoon.

It takes 100 years for the water to undergo a natural filtration process, and then leave the "Mamakau Plateau". The result is a clear river, which even covers 60% of the bottled drinking water in all of New Zealand!
Over 42 cubic meters of water shoot out of the ground here - a swimming pool (6 lanes, 25m each) would be filled within twelve minutes. Absolutely crazy.

Due to the advanced time, we decided not to take the long hike on site and instead took the direct path to the springs. Not ten minutes later, we reached the almost transparent-looking water. The intense color of the underwater plants and the unreal-looking blue of the river were fantastically beautiful. We leisurely strolled along the protected water course and observed the variety of birds. In addition to several ducks, we also saw some cormorants sitting on the shore.
Back at the car, we started the engine and drove to our actual destination. On the way there, we crossed the small town of "Tirau", which surprises drivers with large corrugated iron sheds in sheep style. We also spontaneously stopped to take a picture of them. ;)
Around 5:30pm, we arrived in "Cambridge", our home for the next two nights. After a quick shopping trip, we stopped at the campground and disappeared into bed, as the longer drive had taken its toll on our legs.

This morning, unfortunately, the rainy weather caught up with us. Spring is the rainiest season in New Zealand and is right around the corner.
When we set off for the communal showers, the rain kindly took a short break. After the shower, our sprinter qualities were required... Armed with towels on our heads, we ran back to the car in the heavy downpour. The weather did not improve for breakfast either. Under the protective umbrella, we made our way to the kitchen. As soon as we put the utensils down, the sun appeared and the rainbow appeared in the sky... We took it with humor and enjoyed our breakfast.
The rest of the day was rather unspectacular. Our supply of underwear was running out and a visit to the local laundromat was inevitable. This one shone with affordable prices and clean washing machines and dryers. In addition, the New Zealand radio had good taste in music, which made doing laundry for only $7 (4.00€) a lot of fun. ;)
We used the remaining time of the day for the car advertisement. But before we succumbed to feelings of farewell, we stopped by the campground kitchen, made burgers with everything our hearts desired, and watched a movie in the car thanks to a stable internet connection. ;)