NZ: Tauranga

I have managed to get better internet by blogging at lunchtime so there's some photos below, wahoo!

The following morning, on New Years Day, we drove down to Tauranga where we'd  booked a Bach (holiday home) for the long weekend.  Amy let me drive part of the way which was exciting, in NZ you insure the car not the person so anyone can drive it if they have a license.  (What Amy failed to tell me was you have to have your license on you at all times, leading to a panicked drive later on when there was a cop car behind me)

Stef was already there when we arrived and had busied herself making pumpkin muffins - she's definitely a good person to take on holiday!!!  We played a few games of Monopoly Deal (waaaaaaay better than normal monopoly) and chilled out before heading to some hot pools.   I find this a bizarre concept but it's big over here, people pay $10 to sit in a warm swimming pool all evening.   Maybe it'll grow on me. 

The next day was the event we'd all be waiting for: The Bay Dreams Festival.....Except we woke up to torrential rain which didn't let up all day....  we did end up having fun and I never thought I'd end up dancing to drum and bass at 3pm in walking boots and a rain coat (much fashion) but it would have been SO much nicer if it was bright and sunny.  I discovered some new bands I like (Tahuna Breaks and The Black Seeds are awesome, check them out)

I must point out that the theme was nautical so Pat was seaweed...

Festival hack!!

Hmmmm to the weather

The Black Seeds

Chanelling my inner Old Greg with Pat's outfit (I actually think it suits me, yes?)

On our penultimate day, we went to the gym to cure hangovers then Pat took us to his friend's house who lives 20 mins outside Tauranga up in the hills.   From his we went to a waterfall that's off the tourist track,  it's only accessible by jumping over an electric fence and scrambling down a steep muddy and overgrown hill, Amy and I got really muddy bums as we decided to slide down most of it, fearing we'd topple over the edge and die.   When we reached the falls Pat and his friend scrambled up a rock and jumped straight in, we were slightly more tentative in our approach!! We had a short lived swim when I spotted an eel which led to some screaming and a lot of fumbling to get out f the water.   

hopefully this gives an idea of how muddy and steep this was

climbing up to jump

and jumping

In the evening we went to a "pot luck" party held by Amy's flat mate who was saying at her parents house in Tauranga.   A pot luck party is where everyone brings some food for everyone to share.  We were a bit unprepared and turned up with sausages in gravy and home made hash browns....everyone else had brought beautiful rainbow salads. Whoops!  No one minded though and all the food got eaten! Everyone was really friendly and we played Kubb (Vikings) and Mafia and ate the most delicious pudding of home made salted caramel with baked cinnamon bananas and icecream.  My mouth is watering thinking about it .  I also met Amy's other housemate, Jeremy, who has walked both the PCT and the Camino and I now want to do the Camino when I go home!!

the mount from Lindsay's house

On our final day in Tauranga we woke early and headed up Mt Maunganui, unfortunately we didn't make it to the top as I had a bus to catch and we didn't have enough time (though the bus turned up two hours late, so we could have gone to the top after all - arghhh! )  but the views were nice and the sun finally made an appearance.  

Things I've learnt about New Zealand so far:

• When you park you have to do so in the direction of travel (which makes the roads look really neat and tidy)
• It's illegal to drink alcohol in public spaces....so no booze on the beach (which sucks)
• In fact I don't think NZ like booze much at all - in supermarkets you can only get beer and wine, and it's located in a special sectioned off part of the store.  Anything else and you need to go to a liquor store.

• Prostitution is completely legal (so I know what career I can go in to if I struggle getting anything else)
• Kiwi's say a 'aye' a lot
• 'Wh' is pronounced 'f' so Whakamarama is 'fakamarama' which sounds a bit like fuck your mumma which makes me LOL
• The max speed limit is 100kmph (around 62mph) which is sloooow
• The pet food section in the supermarkets contains loads of real refrigerated meat - animals are spoilt!