The journey to and through Aotearoa - part 2

What i forgot to add in part 1 was as soon as i landed as is customary, i bought a local sim from #vodafone for 45NZD. This gave me 3gb, 200min, 200sms. That is R450 give or take, which is quite comparable to some of the prices we get back home right? 

So Monday morning, my kind hosts had left me a note about what to do if i decided to leave. I thought let me take a stroll into town and then figure out what to do. It was another easy 30 minute walk, met with a frequent 'How are ya'. Tauranga is a lovely city and i can definitely see it being hectic in the summer months, it is considered one of the South Island's main cities. As i walked toward the centre of town, i looked for the place with the most locals and this is were i stopped for breakfast. It was a #SierraCafe on #CameronStreet was the place. Merrily I scoffed away and then carried on on my merry way towards the city centre. I walked around a bit and realized i should head on out. So i walked back up to the house, made my bed, packed my bags into the car followed my host's instructions and headed off on my way.

First stop was #MountMaunganui, #Mauao or the Mount as the locals call it. Part of Tauranga and thus also in the #BayOfPlenty. This place just looked high class. Lovely apartments, styling beach. Looked like there were small little rock islands not too far of the shoreline. The Mount itself has a path and i saw some people up at the top as well as some sheep grazing. I walked around for a little bit and then i headed on to #Rotorua which was about 70km south along #lakeRotorua. Rotorua is known by many as the spiritual home of Maori culture, so visiting the town was a no brainer. On my way into town, i saw a sign to a #Marae which is a scared meeting place for religious and social activities. It was locked but I walked around for a little while and something about that experience moved me, not sure if it was the proximity of the cemetery and the anglican church across the way. I then went to visit the Redwoods, my what a sight, so refreshing to be in the 'woods' i tell you makes me want to take up my mate's offers to come hiking with them, but then i realized that i still have bad knees :) I walked around these majestic plants for a little bit and then decided to carry on driving and see what else is around. 

I happened to stumble upon a place called The Buried village, a settlement for Maori and English settlers in the mid 1800s. The place was destroyed by a volcanic eruption. The lady who runs the place told me to drive a few hundred meters further on and look out, and what i saw was Lake Tarawera, one of the lakes that surrounds the volcanic Mount Trawera. I then decided to head back into town because once again i had nowhere to lay my head, but i figured it would be ok because the Lions rugby fans were all heading north to Hamilton and Auckland so there should be room in the inn. SO once again i jumped onto my trusted #Airbnb and #trivago, once again i couldn't justify those prices. It was a little late in the day, so i thought let me try something i have never done before. I googled best backpackers in Rotorua and a few popped up, I tried one it was ok, price was decent enough then i tried another, #RotoruaDowntownBackpackers. The owner gave me a ridiculously sweet deal i had a 6 bunk room all to myself and there was parking nearby. Dropped my stuff. Locked my room oh and he gave me drink vouchers, it was starting to feel like Christmas in June i tell ya. So i wandered into town. Saw 2 Africans, clearly i had to step up to them...clearly. I hadn't seen any in soooooo long. They were walking into #Nandos, i was like nah man #Saffas, #Zimbos, close enough. We had a brief chat, they went their way and i went mine, looking for some food, but they had planted a seed, so to Nandos i returned, half chicken and salad please...my belly was pleased and so too I. I strayed into a bar called #Sobar, because that was whee the vouchers were valid. 

At Sobar, I saw another gentleman who looked like a stray, so i stepped up to him. The joys of traveling solo, you are forced to make an effort to chat to and meet new people...LOVE IT!! Pleasant fellow Mr Richard. He was an Irishman, living in London who felt no purpose in his vocation so threw in the towel (kinds of sounds familiar) and travelled Asia and now was in New Zealand on his way home. We had a ripper. I also saw a group of guys that i had seen earlier in my backpackers. They were from Uruguay, I had a moan at #Suarez, but i also did tell them that i blamed #AsamoahGyan more. There we were, 6 gents, from all corners, never met before but all so similar in thought, desire and deed, makes you wonder why there is so much trouble in the world, the only thing i can think of is greed...anyway we had a good few laughs, strolled on to another bar, but the Uruguayans weren't allowed in because they didnt have their passports, i didnt either, but somehow i was allowed to stay. Same thing happened in Auckland, i had sneakers on and a hoodie, rules said none of that, I was like but bra's I'm from #SouthAfrica, ahh sweet As cus, you all good and in i went :). Whilst we were sitting there i met this young man called Lance who said muttering something quite profound which was "if you are kind to the world, the world will be kind to you" may not always hold true for all, but it resonated, it is like the Maori proverb that says "He aroha whakato He aroha puta mai" which means "If kindness is sown, Then kindness you shall receive."

Walked back to my 6 bed abode, I was beak because i of my faffing during the day I missed the Maori village tour, history and the traditional dance and the next would be at 5pm the following day. I was lucky because when i got back to the hostel there was a lady called Ruth there who said she would tell me what i wanted to know so i asked ah it was interesting man. Anyway i went for a snooze. Rose to the sound of workers on the street. Hopped into the shower had quick break with the Uruguayans, they were going on a hike that sounded fun, but then i remembered I wasn't about that life so i walked to lake Rotorua, strolled through the government gardens, saw some hot springs, came back fetched my bags and hopped into my chariot which i had now named North (island, not like Jay Z's kid) and to Lake Taupo we headed.

Tuesday 20th June, #LakeTaupo, you can smell this place is for the well to do. It just seems like a retirement place for rich people. What i found quite surprising was that i haven't seen too many people of Maori descent here. But my what a place ey, the lake stretches as far as the eye can see, it looks clean....and cold. There is a snow capped mountain peak off to in the distance. I decided here i will rest for 2 days with even less of an agenda than the one i had when i started on this journey. I parked in the parking lot across from the lake and started my search for a digs. made a call or 2 and decided to just walk in somewhere and wing it. first place i saw, i had seen on triage and it was quite pricey, i asked the manager if he had any rooms and he said yeah i was like how much for 2 nights he told me i was like thanks boss, I will just go look around, he then gave me a price that was like half the price i had seen it advertised for i was like Christmas again. I'll take it. Nice little chalet, plenty space and a kitchen. I dropped my bags walked around the town to buy some supplies, came home drew the curtains and just vegged...bliss. 

Reading a book my boy #VaughanWickins gave em called #GodsSmuggler, interesting read started it a while ago but life has been getting in the way of me finishing it, hope i will be done with it by the weekend. Anyway this morning after reading a few pages, i got ready and headed out to a town called #Turangi someone said it was worth a visit, someone lied, but i am glad i went though because just the drive there was interesting, the windy mountain hugging road was scary and exciting all at the same time albeit only a small section. the roads were relatively quiet. I walked the town for all of 10 minutes and then headed back to find some food. I had taken my laptop and my book hoping for a scenic cafe to sit at to read and write, but alas...

Tomorrow i head off to Hamilton to hopefully meet a friend for a coffee and do a quick trip around the city before heading off back to Auckland. 

Oh so i started posting photos on instagram and tagging them #UnscriptedSolo, because my travels have been largely unscripted, and just playing what is in front of me and solo because it's just me myself and i. when i was looking for the blogspot unscripted it wasn't available but unscrYPted was which is quite cool cos those are my initials

Ok off to go see if i can find some locals and watch the state of origin, happy Wednesday to you all