We took Highway 33 and headed south out of Tauranga towards Rotorua. We actually decided to stay slightly north of Rotorua, near Okere falls because we wanted something quiet and out of town to carry on our rural vibe. We landed the most idyllic, quiet campground on the shore of Lake Rotoiti.
Before we even thought about setting up the tent box, or sorting dinner, we grabbed two kayaks and headed straight out on the Lake. There was also a jetty which served as a perfect platform to hesitate for 10 mins and send some shambolic backflips.
We met Melissa, the loveliest bikepacker from Vancouver Island. The (now famous) truck kitchenette heated up her dinner (shock – rice and beans just like us xo) in exchange for some G&Ts. We spent the evening chatting and bagged ourselves an invite to VI- not sure she was so keen on coming to Cardiff, having been a few times before.
The next morning, before heading into Rotorua, we thought it would be rude not to do the Okere Falls hike. It was mostly shaded and quite short – what a treat. The area is popular for white water rafting but from where we were standing, it looked quite tame – probably because of the dry weather spell?
Rotorua truly earns its nicknames ‘rotten-rua’ and ‘sulphur city’. The smell of rotten eggs hangs in the air and is caused by the geothermal activity (hydrogen sulphide) across the region. Noses sufficiently bunged, we went to Hells Gate to bathe in the sulphur pools and mud spa. They told us to wear throw-aways into the spa and remove all jewellery for 3 days afterwards.
The eggy-mud is rumoured to remove impurities from your skin. To counter this, research into the impact of long-term exposure to hydrogen sulphide on the respiratory system is ongoing. So swings and roundabouts maybe, depends how cynical you’re feeling…
We’re writing this blog post 2 days later, and the truck still smells like an egg factory.
Welsh Rare-bits 
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