Day 201 - Rotorua

Well - despite being somewhat inundated by asian tourists, the polynesian spa was great. After a few hours soaking in various ones of different temperature (the 42 degree one was the best) my feet went white and the top few layers of our skin had flaked off (niice). Afterward we went to the beauty boutique and slathered ourselves in the samples of cream. All in all an affordable day of pampering (and we didn't even smell that bad afterward!).

The next day we got up early and I drove the girls into town for a coffee before heading off to class. They were hitching up to Mahamudra, of all places, so I dropped them off north of town and left them hopefully thumbing cars as I went back to town.

Filled with positive energy after a good class (the hot water must have loosened my muscles), I decided to stop putting off the inevitable and visit the 'wheel dealer' on the way home. Rodders' front tyres looked a bit bald and he was in desperate need of a new lock. Half an hour later and it's official, NZ car mechanics are the best. The wheel dealer guy took a look at my tyres and said "Nah mate, those are ok, you'll pass your WOF no problem with those" (WOF is the NZ version of MOT). I showed him the missing lock and he suggested I go visit the car wreckers up the road. I did and met a charming guy called Chris who, after expressing his disgust at car thieves ("Ah mate, that's terrible") sent me further up the road to a bigger car wreckers (Chris' place didn't deal with vans) to visit his mate Clive, - he even phoned up the place to warn Clive that I was coming! Clive had a look out the back and handed me the lock - I gave him a blank look - he explained that I had to go to get it keyed (get a key made that fitted to the lock), then fit the lock into the door myself. Soo - I drove back, took off the door panel and fitted the lock in the door. I don't have a key for it yet - I'll get that sorted when I find a locksmith, but Rodney is now secure again (I just have to clamber in the passenger door every time I want to drive).

Today I've been hauling the mower round the near-vertical fruit tree hill and mowing down the waist high weeds that grow everywhere. Very satisfying, but my back is hurting again - guess I'll have to take it easy this afternoon and chop up some fruit for the dehydrator.

Paul is away at the cave this weekend, but Linda and I will do something fun like rent some films or go horseriding (btw: for those of you who are confused about all the people here: Linda is here permenantly, she rents a room from Paul).

The girls e-mailed me yesterday, they successfully made it to Thames. They took lots of amusing pictures of us cutting wood/climbing trees/gardening on their last day, so when they upload them I'll link them into my page and you can have a good laugh. They tried to get a picture of Paul too, but he ran away - hilarious.

Anyway - I have to get on and arrange my next stop now. I'm planning to be here until the end of next week (ish), and then I'll head south to Wellington and then over the South Island. Chris and Karissa are heading south too - so maybe we'll be able to meet up and go on a bit of a road trip... who knows.