Okoroire to Rotorua

The weather this morning did not look too bad and we got off to a good start. The beautiful road out from Okoroire onto the highway passes a golf course and rolling green countryside. Once we got on the highway, everything changed. These type of wider roads are made for cars and trucks to go fast. The sides of the road are cleared of obstacles and plant growth so as to improve visibility and avoid things falling on the tarmac. Fair enough if you are driving a car but not very attractive if you are cycling. The smaller roads allow you to be in touch with nature, you are surrounded by it, while these highways are built for speed.

Again, Vanessa seems to not mind too much but I hate cycling on these roads. I don´t understand why anyone in his right mind would enjoy riding a road where cars and trucks pass you at 100 km/h. It makes me nervous.

The highway 5 into Rotorua is a long, gradual climb and once you get to the top, it sort of keeps rolling up and down until the real descent begins. We were still on the rolling section when it started to rain heavily. We looked for shelter and found it in a nearby farm. It seemed abandoned but there was folk that did not mind us hiding in from the rain for a while but did not seem keen on socialising any more either. Fair enough. By the time we got to Rotorua we were exhausted, wet and again nervous and annoyed with the too many drivers that pass too close. I for one have had enough of highways. I am not enjoying this.

We quickly find a campsite and get a cabin. The rain is falling down heavily and we prefer a little luxury. The cabin has a double bed, a kitchen and a TV!

Rotorua is quite a strange place. Everywhere you go there is proof of volcanic and thermal activity. On the campsite itself, just 10 metres away from our cabin, there is a hole in the soil and you can see the mud bubbling and the steam rising out of it. I don´t really know what to make of this. Is it ok to breathe in this steam? How hot would it be? Where does it come from and how do they occur? Maybe the ground underneath us might give away any minute now and we´ll barbecued in two seconds. Instead of running away, we do as all Kiwis do, we relax and say "good as gold".