Meanderings

Here I am in Rotorua, having done my tourist-y things for today. Got in, checked in, wandered back into town and booked a day and a half's worth of tours. Yay me, really getting into the tourist mindset ;) Whilst I was booking said tours, bumped into a couple that I had been on a tour with yesterday. Lovely people, but gosh they like to natter. As only older middle aged middle class British people can, I guess. But it was funny and kind of nice that they came up and said hi.

Went to the Rotorua Museum, which is situated in an old Bath House, in the middle of the Government Gardens. The Bath House is huge and beautiful and completely ridiculous, as only Edwardian follies can be. The Bath House is where people used to come to "take the cure" by bathing in various types of waters and mud from Rotorua. Marvellous. There's a whole section of the museum with all the baths etcetera still vaguely intact. Brilliant. Made me giggle, and also go "oooohhh pretty" about the tiling and all that guff.

The Gardens are so very English, with croquet pitches and bowling greens. Giggling again. Sat by a pagoda and read my newly purchased "Guide to Lord of the Rings Locations" book (yes, geek. Wotchagonnamakeofit?), and was gratified to see that I had at least seen (albeit from either a moving train or bus) a number of the locations on my journey thus far.

Am getting far too excited about the upcoming Hobbiton tour, which I'm hoping will happen in the next week or so. It's very very exciting. I've seen some pictures, and so much of it is still there. I just hope that other people are sobbing uncontrollably when they get there, because I don't know if I'll make it through Hobbiton without having a bit of a sob.

Going to do the "Thermal Experience" tour tomorrow - should be wacky. Can't even remember what it entails (apart from a volcano walk, which sounds too damned good to be true), but I'll be sure to update this blog again after the experience. And then the next day am going to Te Whakarewarewa thermal reserve,where I'll get to see a concert as well as geysers and other thermal thingies.

And then on to Auckland.

I'm not sure if I can keep this pace up for the entire trip ;)

Got some postcards today - well, I am in the tourism mecca of New Zealand, I should really take part ;) Now all I have to do is find a post office...bit late to think of that today. Ah well. They'll keep - though they may get slightly battered.