Update: after limping around for two weeks, I finally faced the facts and admitted that something may be seriously wrong with my foot. As soon as the ferry docked in Wellington, Mike and I got into our new rental car and drove straight to an orthotics clinic. The doctor there examined my foot and said I likely have a stress fracture. And then, she gave me a super awesome, knee-high moon boot to wear for 4-6 weeks. So, my Google MD diagnosis of Turf Toe was a fail and I will be rocking a boot well into Australia. Look out, world. #trendy
Now, back to our regularly scheduled blogging...
One of the luxuries about traveling long term is that you lose track of what day of the week it is. Sometimes, you are totally unaware that major holidays are coming up. This was the case this month, when Easter week snuck up on us and caused some minor travel delays and headaches.
Easter is apparently a big deal in New Zealand. Good Friday is a national holiday, so nearly all shops and restaurants were closed. As we drove from Okahune to Taupo, every motel and B&B we passed had the same sign out front: NO VACANCY. Luckily, we had made reservations in advance.
On Friday, Mike and Arthur tackled the Tongariro Crossing... along with approximately 10,000 other people hoping to get a photo of LOTR's Mount Doom. They sadly reported that it was the most crowded hike (or "forced pilgrimage, as Arthur would say) they'd ever seen. Meanwhile, Joyce and I had enjoyed a leisurely stroll around downtown Lake Taupo and a delicious lunch on the water, so we weren't too sad about missing it.
We stayed in the town of Taupo, which, as I mentioned, was bustling. Unfortunately, the weather was on and off, playing a few moments of sunshine followed by downpour on replay.
On Sunday morning, Mike and I drove an hour north to Rotorua. Popular with tourists for Maori history and geothermal features, Rotorua has a unique vibe. Because so many locals were out and about celebrating Easter Sunday, we also felt more of a local presence than in Taupo, which seemed like a holiday destination.
Rotorua's geothermal activity sends plumes of steam rising out from between houses, along rivers and even in the middle of city parks. It's a cool, other-worldly effect.
One of the most noticeable differences between the country's south and north islands is the Maori presence on the north island. You see the cultural influence in the faces of people on the street as well as reflected in artwork, architecture and design.
On our drive back to Rotorua, we pulled off the road and happened to catch a scheduled dam release. If not for the small crowd that had gathered on a bridge, we may have driven right by it. After an alarm sounded a few times, the dam door slowly opened and we watched as a calm, see-through pool flooded and whitewater began rushing down the rocky straight, empty a moment earlier.
After a few nights in the area, we were moving on toward Raglan, hoping to finally see the sun and some surfable waves.