Shien: Continuing to Mt M. & Rotorua

MOUNT MANGANUI

Soon after three weeks of consecutive interactions with all forms of Kiwis, we decided that we wouldn't contain our excitement anymore but to begin part two of our trip-to travel. Besides, most of our friends had or planned to move on already so we thought might as well lift the light spirit higher and have fun all together! Our route were slightly more complex than general backpackers in NZ because we were accommodating to a couple other friend's travel dates so that we could travel together. Time is of an essence... So I wouldn't advice anybody to follow the sequence of my travel and please pardon the messy sequence.

Firstly, we headed to Mt Manganui and then was the start of our buffet craze but i'll come back to that again. We met a pair of loving Malaysians outside a restaurant and started a conversation until the end of dinner. We felt welcome on our first day and thought that the night couldn't get any better with their company. The pair shared with us lots of personal life stories that were engaging and even offered to bring us around in their car the next day. For the next few days S & P brought us on a mini tour around tauranga, invited us to their house and brought us to visit their newly bought section at welcome bay. Even until today, i'm still marveled at the kind of relationship we've forged, they treated us like their grandchildren and they called/texted every there and then until our last day in NZ. They even pre-invited our families over to their place to stay the next time we visit. The pair of old folks were so precious, they certainly were a great part of my great wonders in NZ.

Not forgetting our hike up the perfect scenery Mt Managanui, we stayed up there the whole afternoon to enjoy our mini picnic, spend some therapeutic time writing postcards to our loved ones and relax at the tip top of the mount with our story books until winter got colder in the evening. It was a perfect Sunday being in awe of His wonders.

1.Sunrise 2.Sea shells picking at the beach 3.Aging couples watching the scenery 4.Almost the peak of Mt M. 5.Golden Kiwis for picnic 6.Brunch at Cafe Eighty Eight

ROTORUA

Next, the bus brought us to the place that smells like fart. It has intimidating geothermal activities, relaxing hot spring to soak in, 16 lakes and a city rich in the Maori culture. O and it seems like a pretty good place for buffets too! In ten days we had 4 buffets-Indian, Mongolian, Chinese and Hangi. We were staffed to almost death but i'm proud to say that we have such adaptable tastebuds and invincible elastic stomachs. I rank that week best, including the activities we did like the 7m(highest commercialize)White Water Rafting, Maori Tour, Hells Gate(Mud spa), Waikite Valley Thermal Pools, hiked The Redwoods, hitch hiked around and visited the Musuem at the Government's Garden. Besides, we even experienced working for accommodation which was pretty good considering that Rotorua has the best YHA. Soon enough, we fell in love with that city despite of the occasional pungent.

But we knew that there were more waiting for us to venture to, so we left Rotorua with all good and fun experiences locked in our memories, as we travelled down to Napier the Art Deco City then to Wellington the Capital-which i will continue in the next post.

Blogging about NZ is always so amazing, memories are so vivid, it's as though i've been teleported back to the country full of lovely people and sceneries all over again... As for now, it's bed time because school has officially began. Have a great day, we're half way through the working week! Cheers!