“This place smells like Sulphur” I say as I step off the bus at Rotorua “must be the hot springs”
I look left and right, and spot Ovie.
He’s already at the city map across the sidewalk, tracing his finger along the foggy glass map protector and finds his mark.
“Here, Victoria street, that’s us. Let’s go”
And we’re off. I sling my pack over my shoulder and do that pocket check for wallet, glasses, phone, etc. Ovie’s already halfway down the street, making pleasantries with Kiwi passers-by. I eventually catch up.
Rotorua is much bigger than Whakatane. It’s our first taste of a real ‘city’ style environment. The crosswalks trigger with a click and whirr that we haven’t heard since our first days in Auckland, all those weeks ago (can’t believe it’s been almost a month- but more on that later).
We check in to our hostel and it’s plenty comfortable. There’s a small courtyard in the middle of the common rooms and dorm rooms where we can play cards, hang our dirty laundry, or even do a mini home workout. For the record, loose bricks are a great fitness tool.
We make the most of our time in Rotorua. Every day a new adventure, new activities.
Of course we meet a great many new people right away- as is the usual in the backpacker community. But this time it’s a little different- these people are especially cool- they’re traveling at our pace.
Our first night in Rotorua there’s a food market downtown. We check it out= we binge on the cheap steamed pork buns and deep fried dumplings- some of us grab some cheap produce and we head back home. A few more beers and a bottle of wine and before long we’re dancing to an Acoustic cover of “get lucky” at the Pig and Whistle bar.
I look left and right, and spot Ovie.
He’s already at the city map across the sidewalk, tracing his finger along the foggy glass map protector and finds his mark.
“Here, Victoria street, that’s us. Let’s go”
And we’re off. I sling my pack over my shoulder and do that pocket check for wallet, glasses, phone, etc. Ovie’s already halfway down the street, making pleasantries with Kiwi passers-by. I eventually catch up.
Rotorua is much bigger than Whakatane. It’s our first taste of a real ‘city’ style environment. The crosswalks trigger with a click and whirr that we haven’t heard since our first days in Auckland, all those weeks ago (can’t believe it’s been almost a month- but more on that later).
We check in to our hostel and it’s plenty comfortable. There’s a small courtyard in the middle of the common rooms and dorm rooms where we can play cards, hang our dirty laundry, or even do a mini home workout. For the record, loose bricks are a great fitness tool.
We make the most of our time in Rotorua. Every day a new adventure, new activities.
Of course we meet a great many new people right away- as is the usual in the backpacker community. But this time it’s a little different- these people are especially cool- they’re traveling at our pace.
Our first night in Rotorua there’s a food market downtown. We check it out= we binge on the cheap steamed pork buns and deep fried dumplings- some of us grab some cheap produce and we head back home. A few more beers and a bottle of wine and before long we’re dancing to an Acoustic cover of “get lucky” at the Pig and Whistle bar.
We wake up friday well-fed and well-rested and decide to fling ourselves down a hill in a 10 foot water-filled plastic ball (check the video) in the sun-scorched afternoon. We relax in a hot tub before laying in the sun (this is december?!) and heading home.
Then comes one of the coolest experiences of our stay in New Zealand thus far.
We travel to an authentic Maori village to taste the unique native culture of New Zealand. Unlike Whakatane where we visited the Modern Marae- the Tamaki village just south of Rotorua showed a pre-colonized example of the Maori way of life. Three groups arrive to the village on their respective Waka (which is Maori for way of transport- or War Canoe- in our case, a tour bus) and each Waka must have a chief.
I’m elected chief of our tribe and stand first and foremost for the formal Maori challenge (an aggressive greeting that, when countered with passivity, suggests ‘we come in peace’) when the tribe finally slows and quies their guttural chanting and threats, and when the tongues protrude back into the warriors’ heads, a peace offering is presented, but still the tribes freezes in an aggressive, war-ready stance.
Read:
“If your are brave enough to pick this up, we can trust you”
We accept the peace offering, and perform the ‘Hongi’ - a ceremonial greeting consisting of a pressing the noses together twice. This contact signifies the unification of two life breaths- two beings recognizing each other and binding together. Performing this greeting charges me with an acute human awareness- a sharing that transcends culture, language, and borders.
We gain entry into the village and procede to learn many unique things about Maori culture- the Haka war dance, weaving, Ta Moko (ceremonial tattoos etched with bone chisels) and even the stick-games. Ovie jumps in on one of the Maori Stick games against another Canadian and two Swedes.
“Hey Ovie, show everyone that Canadian’s really know how to use their sticks!!”
Ovie wins.
Here’s victorious Ovie:
After the small village we move on to the cooking huts and the raising of the Hangi feast- the Maori actually use red hot geothermal rocks and steam to cook food underground. The result is extremely tender and uniquely flavoured root vegetables and meats. The sweet potatoes taste like fire and the meat is naturally smokey and and tender- cooked in it’s own fats and juices.
Then, full-bellied, we all sing and sway our way towards our respective Waka’s (just a bus, people) and sing even more along the drive back home. Classics like “The Lion Sleeps Tonight” “We Are the Champions” and “Hey Jude” are all represented.
And we keep ‘er goin hot the next day. Ovie and I, along with a german fellow named Max all go upstream to look for trout the next day. Unfortunately we don't catch anything. But the scenery is amazing as usual.
Day 3: mountain biking through the rotorua redwoods. Lots of jumps, winds, rugged terrain and thick, still air. The sunshine stings as we whisk and toss ourselves around the dry, brittle forest. Ovie gracefully navigates the jumps, curves, and banks while I eat dirt and thorn bushes the most of the day (one injury was for the sake of filming, in my defence).
But onward and upward: the next day brings white water rafting down the Kaituna river.
Robin, another awesome fellow from our hostel swore by the rafting and so without hesitation we went for it.
Beyond awesome excitement and tons of laughs- it’s a great opportunity to bathe.
We stay in the present but we still take quiet moments to reflect and take it all in:
It’s been a good stay in Rotorua. Family meals, good food and drink, fun games, sightseeing, adventure. We’ve all grown quite fond of each other. Then one night Ovie turns to me and says
“Dude can you believe it’s been about three weeks since we’ve left?”
And it’s hard to. Such a short time has been so long- when we really reflect on the 100+ people we’ve met, the scenery and landscapes we’ve seen, it’s hard to believe so long of so little of time has passed. We live day to day, often wondering what our next meal will be. It’s a scraping existence that creates such a deep, primal satisfaction. We wake up hungry every day- in our stomachs and in our hearts. We take pride in how we are making our way in this world one decision at a time. We live in the now, always present, alert, and focused.
We are thankful every moment to those that have provided us with the opportunities to get here. Our appreciation is vast- from every towering, bubbling mountain down to the smallest blade of lush New Zealand grass: we are thankful for everything and everyone around us.
Our time here has been amazing. Rotorua has been amazing.
But, before we get attached, settled, complacent: we bid adieu to the city of Sulphur, and with our departure comes some of our hardest goodbye’s yet:
Jonathan, Johanna, Julia (the second), Noam, Michel, Robin, and Max: until next time: sweet as!
Otherwise, so begins our road trip of the North Island. Alongside some lovely Canadian ladies we met in Auckland (Kelsea and Shannon) and Julia the First, we have rented a car and setting our own pace (thanks for the wheels, girls!.) Down the thin and winding road comes more waterfalls, caves, worms, volcanoes, rivers, mountains, rapids, and horizons, just asking to be explored.
Who knows? Maybe we’ll even toss ourselves over a cliff.
We learn, we laugh, we play, we act.
Truly happy, alive: high on life.
So we laugh some more.
We have the time, and the desire, and the means to keep moving forward.
And so we will.
Kia Ora,
-Kevin and Bryan