NZ Day 22 - Goodbye Rotorua, Hello Auckland

Sunday, 23 April 2017

Our last morning in Rotorua started nicely for me with a paddle on the lake with Clare while Jon dealt with the last of the packing up.

Out of interest, next time I might book a slightly larger hire car, as this is what the corolla looks like after we've offloaded bags and chairs into two other cars..

Anyway - after final packing we took a small driving tour through Rotorua central -  it looked really nice and busy on a sunny Saturday morning. We also drove past the area we'd had the sprint race a few days earlier. I took a photo of the picture-card perfect croquet ground for mum..

Then it was on to our second last Rotorua activity - mini golf with rabbits.   yep. you heard me.  Mini Golf, with RABBITS.   We played 18 holes on a regular (actually pretty average) mini-golf course, surrounded by 9 large and roaming bunny rabbits who lived there. It was hilarious - particularly when one took a liking to Jett's ball.  You were allowed to pat them, but not pick them up - but they were so large it would have taken a fork lift truck to pick them up anyway!

I was very distracted by the rabbits, and consequently didn't play my best. I shot 51, Jon won with 37.

Then it was on to our final Rotorua attraction and something I'd been wanting to see since we got there - Hamurana Springs.  It's a small nature trail surrounding an amazingly clear creek flowing from springs where the ice cold water bubbles up at the end of its 70 year journey from the mountains.  The pictures don't do it justice.

The walk was surrounded by big sequoia trees which made it all the more pleasant..

Then it was back  into the car for the 3 hour drive to Auckland to register for the Masters Games followed by a lovely dinner with Helen, Kim, Jack, Ava and Paul, who also arrived today.