I think from now on all my holidays should start with a day
like today. I am feeling so incredibly relaxed and stress free.
My day started with a bus ride up to Rotorua. Because I
actually didn’t go to bed last night, I had plenty of time to get to the bus
via the City market and a breakfast of empanadas.
The bus ride itself was great. It wasn’t full so I had space
to spread out and sleep for the first half and then knit the second. By the
time we pulled in to Rotorua, I’d knitted an entire ball of yarn (only 6 more
to go until my scarf is complete).
The stretch across the central plateau is always my
favourite and today it didn’t disappoint. Something purple was flowering
everywhere. The purple, gold of the tussock, greens and browns was so
beautiful. I couldn’t help thinking that if someone balled that colour way up,
I’d knit it in an instant.
We had a half hour stop at Taupo so I took a walk down
nostalgia lane and bought a Tip Top icecream on a cone – orange choc chip and
gold rush. Yum! Then I had a quick look around the shops before parking myself
on the footpath to do some more knitting.
Rotorua is where the relaxation really started. I checked
into a proper hotel room by myself for the first time (in New Zealand anyway).
This one is a lot flasher than the budget hotels I stayed in overseas. The room itself is the same size as my house.
I have a dining table, kitchenette, not one but two queen beds and a bathroom with…drum
roll….a bath! I got a good deal on the room through work - room plus breakfast for $70.
I couldn’t work out how to get the shower to work so taking
a bath was pretty much the first thing I did. I really miss having a bathtub.
There is nothing more relaxing. Actually that was the second thing I did. The
first was to crack open a bottle of wine – my first drink in 7 weeks and 4
days.
I wanted to treat myself but still
cut costs, so instead of eating out for dinner, I grabbed a couple of things from
Pak n Save – a mix of olives, sundried tomatoes and feta, cream cheese with
macadamia and cranberry, crackers and ham.
My belly full and body clean, I
headed down to the Polynesian Spa. It should’ve cost $30 for the entry and the
locker but the cute guy on the desk let me in for free. How nice is that?! I
actually was, I think, the only kiwi there. Everyone else was speaking
Chinese. It was so relaxing soaking in the different pools. I got out once I
started to feel like I was simmering and the two glasses of wine I’d had
beforehand started to go to my head – so about an hour. Since I skipped the entry free I
could justify the taxi there and back ($16) as I wasn’t sure how safe Rotorua
is to walk around alone after dark, and a pottle of mud for my face from the
gift shop.
Back at my hotel I hopped into my
very large bed with another glass of wine, knitting and the rest of the cheese.
I also filled out my breakfast card. I’ve never had room service in my life so
I’m shouting myself a $20 brekkie tomorrow which should be delivered to my room
at 7.15am. I should really get to sleep now then. I’m hoping I am up early
enough to do a couple of laps of the pool before breakfast.
Then it’s off to the gondola/luge,
lunch with my parents and great nana and then white water rafting. I am going
to sleep so well tomorrow night!
How was your weekend?
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