Feb 11

Sunday, February 11

Around 2 am, I told Josh to get in bed. I set the alarm in the guest bedroom because the master bedroom didn't have a clock. I was paranoid about oversleeping though because check out was at 10 am and I didn't want to have to pay if we checked out late. The next morning at 9 am, Josh called the front desk and got us an extended check out for noon. That's more like it.
I had my traditional breakfast and Josh ate the last of the KFC. Josh made a call out to the Huka Falls ("who-ka") jet boat company but after he called, we were both like, we don't want to get wet today. So, we decided just to go out to the Huka Falls and look around. We checked out at noon-nothing to sign and no receipt-that's the way to do it.

Driving to Huka Falls, I saw a sign for the Huka Lodge. It is a really upscale place to stay in the area. I looked at it before leaving the states but it's really expensive. I have to say, I can't imagine the rooms being nicer than where we stayed...except there is a chef on the lodge premises...so no KFC !
When we entered Huka Falls area (free), we read a hand written note in the gift shop window that said someone's cds were stolen from their car. Then, when we reached the Huka Falls bridge, there was a sign that said volunteers watch the cars so make a donation to support them-interesting.

The Huka Falls, while not having a big drop, are still impressive because of the color of the water and the speed at which it falls. Josh and I took a walk from Huka Falls to Spa Pool (about 2 hours round trip). It was a really nice walk and although it's summer, it was really nice temperature wise. There's zero humidity!

The clear water of the Waikato River was so inviting! Josh and I could have gone for a swim despite our saying we didn't want to get wet earlier that day. We saw some people floating down the river with snorkle gear on so we decided we'd come back with snorkles ourselves. The walk concluded at Spa Pool which is where hot water from the geothermal areas pours down a waterfall into the Waikato River. Side note: People had their dogs swimming in the river by the hot water and it's so disgusting to me to have big dogs swimming around with people. Ugh. I'm not a dog person.

We made the walk back to the car and all of our stuff was still there and the car was still there so that was good. We hit up the McDonald's for an ice cream (again!...McDonald's ice cream tastes the same here as at home). The ride home took about three hours (the same as going up to Taupo). We did have to stop for a bathroom break in the military base town of Waiouru.
I saw the weirdest sign in the stall in the ladies bathroom and I should have taken a picture of it...it was a stick figure person crouching with both feet on the toliet seat and a big red X was drawn over the picture. Next to that drawing was another stick figure person sitting properly (in the Western sense) on the toilet with a green check mark drawn over the picture. Does someone need directions?

Actually, I did a Wikipedia search and I think this sign had to do with Japanese and other Asian tourists who are used to squat toilets...here's what Wikipedia said, "In Japan, being clean is very important, and some Japanese words for 'clean' can be used to describe beauty. This may explain the continuing success of squat toilets without any physical contact. Occasionally, even a western-style toilet is used as a squat toilet by a self-conscious (or ignorant) user that squats by standing on the toilet seat." My cultural knowledge grows!

The bathroom stop then turned into an ice cream stop. I had the Hokey Pokey and Josh was boring with chocolate. About an hour outside of Palmerston North, the check engine light came on in the car...uh oh. We made it home safely though.

Back home, we unpacked, sent some emails (I need to meet with one of Lyndsey Chadwick's contacts at International Pacific College), and took it easy. What a great weekend trip. We were glad we went!