13.-14.04.2019 # Whakatane

On Saturday we set off for Rotorua after a hearty breakfast in the late summer weather. That is the next bigger city, about 100 km north of Whakatane. Maike wants to see kiwis and there is the best opportunity. In the meantime, I'm drawn to the local music store because I still want to get a ukulele case. On the way, we pass some larger lakes that invite you to dive. Who knows, maybe something will come up in the future.

Arriving in Rotorua, we quickly take care of all the errands. Although I don't get exactly what I want, there is still a new jacket for me to console myself. After a coffee at Starbucks, we go straight to the Rainbow Springs Wildlife and Naturepark. The admission of 40 NZD per person is not exactly cheap, but it is definitely worth it. In this park, there is a kiwi hatchery among other things. The emblematic bird of the New Zealanders has been battered in its numbers and here they take care of the preservation of the species. In a special kiwi house, there is a lot of information and a separate room where you can see the strange, flightless birds live. The room is darkened and you are strongly admonished not to make loud noises. Unfortunately, photography is not allowed, but it would be difficult anyway because of the safety glass. But at least we saw them.

Next, Lutz and Blake take us to the thermal pools in Waikite Valley, just outside of Rotorua. After we quickly had a delicious lunch at the Waiotapu Tavern on the way, we are greeted by several hot pools with different water temperatures. They are fed from a mineral-rich natural spring and the hottest one reaches 43 degrees. Although it was predominantly sunny throughout the day, we are already a little chilly in the shade after our lunch. A hot bath is just right and we spend several hours dozing and relaxing in the hot water. Wonderful.

Shortly before the sun sets, we leave our bathtub and drive back towards Rotorua. On the way, we make a stop at the Waiatopu Scenic Reserve and take a look at a mud pool. This is an underground lake fed by mud that constantly bubbles and spews out small mud fountains. Funny to watch, but it does smell strongly of sulfur.

For dinner, we go to the Novotel in Rotorua. It is currently well attended and the restaurant is accordingly full. Fortunately, Blake reserved a table for us, so we don't have to wait long. However, spoons seem to be scarce at the moment, so we hide our hard-won ones under napkins when we go to the buffet :-) After we have all helped ourselves abundantly, we drive back to Whakatane, where we arrive full and satisfied around half past nine. Blake's mom had taken care of the dogs during the day, so they now only get a short play round in the living room. A 12-year-old Scotch from Lutz's house bar rounds off a super nice day perfectly.

The next morning we get up a little earlier. Since our flight back to Auckland is not until the afternoon and the weather forecast promises perfect conditions, our hosts want to take us on a boat trip on the sea. With their own boat, of course. So we get the '4in Kiwi' out of the specially rented garage and drive to the harbor. We are not the only ones who want to board, as there is already a lot of activity at the slipway. But after ten minutes, our sleek ship is in the water and we head towards Whale Island. When Lutz 'puts the lever on the table', we feel how much power the outboard engine has. My mouth corners go up, while Maike hopes her tablet works.

We anchor near the island for a while. The whole tour is not just for fun, it also has a practical reason. Dinner needs to be obtained. And so, guided by the two professionals, we do something again that we never do otherwise. We fish. The goal is to catch one sufficiently large (this is occasionally checked in the harbor) fish for Lutz, Blake, and Blake's mom.

Although we have something on the line regularly, we have to change our location twice more before we finally pull something useful out. Occasionally, we have the impression that we always have the same fish on the line. The impression fades when I suddenly pull out two pieces of different species at once. But that only has statistical value because even they are too small and immediately go back into their element. Meanwhile, Maike catches the biggest fish. Unfortunately, it is not suitable for frying and has to be smoked. It seems to have been lucky and is allowed to continue swimming. Finally, with combined effort, we have achieved the goal for the day and dedicate ourselves to sightseeing.

The island is very scenic and also known for its seal population. You are only allowed to go ashore with guided tours, but it is worth coming here even just to take photos from the boat. As we circle the island, we first admire the elephant rocks before we get to the seals. Some of them sunbathe on the rocks at the shore, while others lazily doze on the water. If the water were warmer, we could even snorkel with them now. We have probably never seen them this close before.

On the way back, I get to be the helmsman until shortly before reaching the harbor. That is a lot of fun. I think when I grow up, I want to have a boat too ;-)

Back at the house, we thoroughly clean the boat together to the sounds of Queen. It was probably its last trip of the season. Autumn is approaching rapidly, and such conditions as today will not come again so quickly.

After a quick snack with a photo shoot on the terrace, it is once again time for us. On the way to the airport, we quickly return the boat to the garage before we arrive on time at check-in. But no one is in a hurry here, so we can say goodbye extensively.

Thank you very much for the wonderful weekend, Lutz and Blake! You have been really great hosts and we look forward to seeing you again soon. Thanks a lot for an awesome weekend, Lutz and Blake! You have been really super hosts and we look forward to a soon good reunion.

After the Air Chathams' little Metro III has safely brought us back to Auckland, we look in vain for our Kiwi taxi for 30 minutes, which should have taken us back to the Naumi Hotel. Then we decide to look for another option. A taxi driver tells us about the shuttle bus that connects various airport hotels with the terminals. So we buy two tickets and after five minutes, the Yellowbus arrives. We are glad that we board first because at the international terminal, it is so crowded that there are no seats left. Instead, some luggage items parked at the side start rolling on their wheels and wander down the aisle.

We arrive a little later at the hotel than planned. So we skip a trip to the city where we actually wanted to go up the Sky Tower. Instead, we prefer to video chat with the Ore Mountains and then have something to eat in the hotel.

When the bags have been repacked and the sleep drink is empty, we fall exhausted into bed. Tomorrow morning, we're going to the island. Get up early one more time, then the vacation finally starts :-)