Can't live without the kiwipaka

Thermal pools throughout Rotorua creating steam

Most of the next morning was spent driving to Rotorua, where we wold be spending the next 4 nights. The drive was so gorgeous, you felt guilty if you slept and missed it. It was endless rolling hills full of sheep pastures and/or fields. We finally arrived in Rotorua, a small town full of geothermal activity, which made the entire town smell like sulfur and rotten eggs. However, there were several pools quite close to our hostel and scattered throughout the town to make things interesting. We were told not to walk through parks and rugby fields at night for fear of stepping into a scalding hot pool. I don't quite believe that would happen though, because every one I’ve seen is roped off with a wooden fence.

In front of the Kiwi Paka Sign

The Kiwipaka, our home sweet home, was a hostel packed with multiple study abroad groups, tours, and different rugby/soccer teams.  The rooms (more comparable to closets with bunk beds)  left something to be desired but the rest of the place was pretty nice. The kiwipaka offered a little cafe/restaurant area, a bar (which was more or less the hang out room for everybody), a little TV room and old school computer lounge, plus for an added bonus a huge geothermally heated hot tub. Overall, the kiwipaka wasn’t too bad to hang out at for a few days.

Haka outfits (the boys are in the back)

After exploring a little and settling in, it was time to learn the Haka, and learn how to play rugby. After a quick history lesson of the Maori Culture and the purpose/meaning of the Haka, we got a quick tutorial of the moves and words. To top off a quite embarrassing display of a Maori Tradition, we were forced to dress in “authentic” clothes. The girls had to were a long black skirt, with a halter top, while the poor unfortunate boys were forced to wear essentially loin clothes. In smaller groups we had to perform in front of everybody else and to a video camera (a video which nobody will ever see, if that's what you were hoping for). In the end it was pretty fun, and I'm glad I do know the words for when the World Rugby Cup rolls around in a few months.

We were on our own for dinner, so most of our group decided to go into town, where there was a night street fair to get some food. I had the most delicious lamb Kebabs with fried noodles and a dumpling from one of the vendors ( I figured I should start eating a lot of lamb see as there are 10 sheep to every person in NZ). Later we walked to explore the rest of the vendors, the town and the different bars in Rotorua.