27/07/2018 - Spring cleaning in Rotorua

On our journey from Whakatane inland, we only made one stop to use the restroom. However, it was a pleasant surprise to find that the restroom was located at the beautiful Lake Rotoma. We took a short break, stretched our legs, and ate an apple. :)
After a total of 100 kilometers, the smell of sulfur became apparent. We realized that we had arrived. Hello Rotorua, nice to smell you again! Before heading to the campsite, we visited the Okere Falls. The first lookout point was only a few minutes' walk from the parking lot. Or so we thought. As we climbed the access stairs, we realized that the Kaituna River seemed to be in flood. The platform was no longer accessible as the rushing water flooded the area. We declined the foot wash and continued on to other lookout points. These provided even better views of the raging river. Along the way, the trail passed several waterfalls, each with its own distinct features. One was especially high, while another cascaded down a narrow gorge.

The highlight of this river section is that several rafting companies ride the rapids. The boats also pass over the seven-meter-high drop known as the Tatea Fall.

But due to the cool outside temperature, we preferred to take a muddy bush walk and take plenty of pictures of the glowing green surroundings.
In the late afternoon, we arrived at our accommodation near Rotorua Airport. As we got out of the car to cool our groceries, the typical smell of the region returned. However, with the wind blowing favorably, the stench was tolerable.

We didn't plan any excursions for the next day and stayed at the campsite. The weather was pleasant (partly cloudy), which meant it was time for spring cleaning! We completely emptied our car - all the boxes, clothes, groceries, and even the mattress. We swept, scrubbed, and polished every corner of our Sam - even the wheels were personally treated by Tobi. Meanwhile, we did three loads of laundry, made the bed, and organized the boxes. We checked all the fluids under the hood and took the first pictures for the car sale.

Because the topic of selling our faithful companion is on our agenda soon. The thought of having to part with our loyal companion already hurts...

After five to six hours, everything found its place in the car again, and the final result was definitely impressive. The car looked almost new.
After a well-deserved dinner, we decided to play a round of mini golf late in the evening. We got discounted tickets, equivalent to €3.50 per person, for a facility in a large entertainment center. In addition to bowling, escape rooms, and trampoline jumping, you can also play mini golf in a Western style here. We had a close competition until the last hole. But Tobi's nerves started to get to him, so he ended up surrendering. ;)

Yesterday, we rewarded ourselves for the newly uploaded blog with a falafel wrap from our trusted Tunisian vendor. ;) We discovered his falafels during our first visit seven months ago and were impressed.
Afterwards, we planned our upcoming dinners and stocked up on groceries for the rest of the road trip. After preparing the red cabbage salad for the following day and enjoying a small yogurt with fruits, nuts, and honey, we decided to visit the campsite's thermal pool around 7:00 PM. With an outside temperature of just 2°C, we were excited to relax in the warm, steaming pool. We got into the small round pool, played some music, and let our souls unwind. After about half an hour, we slowly got out of the pool. The subsequent scenes still give us goosebumps today... Both of our circulations dropped. I managed to open the door to the outside just in time before we both sat almost powerless on a small wooden bench at the edge of the room, waiting to fully recover. It was a dreadful feeling! After several minutes of rest, we took it slow, sneaked back to the car, and lay down exhausted. - Maybe it was due to dehydration? Maybe it was the stuffy air or the slight cold we had at the time? Anyway, we learned a lot from the situation...

The next morning, the world looked much better. Although there was still a slightly uneasy feeling, we felt fit enough to start the day. One last time, we visited the volcanic activities in the city center - passing by a smoking lake or a bubbling mud pool every day must be special. After taking the last souvenir photos and videos, we said goodbye to the unique city of Rotorua. After the first kilometers, passing through farmland and a large dam, we temporarily left the highway to quickly publish a finished blog post in Mangakino. We were back on the road by 4:00 PM and still quite a distance from today's campsite. Despite the late hour, we didn't want to miss a hike. This one took us to the "Totara Tree" in just 20 minutes. The New Zealand bush we had to traverse was characterized by a diverse vegetation like we had rarely seen before. It seemed to change every 100 meters - from various shades of green to dark areas covered in earthy and withered branches. Overgrown sections transitioned to open ones; a fallen tree let in some light. It was really fun to walk the trail. In the end, we were greeted by a wide, nearly 1,800-year-old giant. Its trunk diameter is four meters!
Back at the car and after another hour of driving, we soon reached our destination for the day. In complete darkness, we found a free campsite near Te Kuiti. We were happy to have finally found a suitable spot (which is not easy in the dark, especially in such pitch-black conditions), turned off the engine, ate the prepared red cabbage salad, and are excited to see the scenery that will surround us tomorrow morning.