The tour around the shire was only so long and I had the rest of the day open. I wasn’t sure what to do so I walked to the store to grab some food. On my way back I bumped into my friends Lidie and Baptiste who I met in Australia at my workaway. I love how huge this world is yet how small it can feel. They did leave Australia before me to come travel New Zealand but I had no idea where. I still can’t believe I bumped into them on a random street in Rotorua. We talked for a bit and exchanged information to see if we could re connect somewhere else in New Zealand.
After that I got some ideas from a friend I made in the hostel who worked at a sightseeing company. He told me the best places to visit qand helped me find the bus route and everything. I ended up going to a place called Te Puia that showcased the culture of Maori people and many other things.
When I first got there I bought a ticket to also go to one of the shows they had on. It was full of dancing and singing that represented the Maori culture.
Afterwards I was able to catch the last free walking tour of the place as well. It was kind of nice because there was only me and 2 other people in the group. Our tour guide was very nice and knowledgeable and took us to see the geysers and hot mud pool. It was absolutely stunning and interesting. Even though the geyser is made up of boiling water the river that was attached to it was at a normal temperature.
While the other two people were off sightseeing I had a nice conversation with the tour guide. He asked how I was enjoying New Zealand and how I came to travel here. I talked to him about my gap year and that this was my last country I was touring before heading back home. He said “if you don’t mind me asking how old are you?” and when I said 18 he was just overcome with this sense of pride. He said how courageous that was for someone my age and how big a life lesson it was to go out and explore on your own. He took us to a little museum afterwards that showed how all the wood carvings and skirts are made. We toured around there and were left at the gift shop.
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