Day 14, Part II

Though we all rode the same bus, we were really split into two primary groups for this weekend, each filling the time with different activities (or with the same activities, but at different times). One group went straight to a hostel upon arrival, slept for a few hours, and spent Saturday morning doing zorbing and other such activities, and then the afternoon going to Hobbiton. We will call them Group 1. The other group stayed awake on a dock the first night to watch the sunrise and spent Saturday doing the Hobbiton tour in the morning, then doing a Maori dinner that night. They’ll be called Group 2.

I was in a kind of awkward position of bridging the gap between the two groups. I shared the hostel with Group 1, but spent the day with Group 2. As a result, when Group 2 checked into their hostel after the Hobbiton tour and decided they really needed a nap, Group 1 was off doing their own thing and nowhere to be found. I didn’t dare take a nap myself, and had a good five hours or so before our next obligation. So I wandered around the town by myself for a while.

It was a nice town. I swear there was a souvenir shop every other store, which was a little ridiculous, but since I had the time and no one with me, I decided to take advantage of them. I found one that was moderately less expensive than most, and the storekeeper greeted me at the door. Since there was no one else there, and she seemed bored, and I was alone, we ended up conversing some about how I came to be in New Zealand and what I was looking for. I’m not usually great at holding actual conversations with strangers, but I was glad for it. Turns out, I feel a lot better giving my money to a person who shows a genuine interest in helping me find what I’m looking for.

So I finished souvenir shopping, and walked in circles looking for anything else interesting. There was a lake, and a black swan swimming in it. I got lunch at a Subway. (It was cheap and I didn’t feel awkward for being alone.) It was relaxing, but the afternoon dragged on a bit.

A few pictures of what I encountered:

 (I still haven't figured out how to rotate an image...)

 (Referring to the tree above)

Look, a black swan!

When I finally met up with people again (the same group I was with for the Hobbiton tour), we headed out for a Maori dinner and cultural experience just outside the town. It was big and amazing enough to merit its own post, so I won’t talk about it here. That took up most of the evening. Once we were back in town, we decided to go find one of the hot springs and soak our feet. The sulfur smell was noticeable, but not overwhelming, and I got used to it pretty quickly. It was worth it, at any rate.

When I got back to my hostel around midnight, Group 1 was out, presumably at a club or something. I took advantage of the relative silence to fall asleep and make up for what I’d lacked last night.