Day 5: Fiji to Rotorua, New Zealand

Day 5 7/10/06 Fiji-Rotorua, New Zealand

We got up at 5:45 a.m. so that we could be ready to go at 6:30 to go to the airport to prepare for our flight to New Zealand. Luckily we got out of having a box breakfast and participated in another breakfast buffet. Good eating!!

We got to the airport and found the World Cup finals (France vs. Italy) were on. It was at the end of the second overtime tied 1-1. We had to get on the plane and so we missed the penalty kicks that gave Italy the victory. It was a major bummer to miss.

The flight was about three hours and so we got to Auckland by 11:30 or so in the morning. Luckily there was not a time change to have to deal with. We got through customs in New Zealand, though I was worried about the shell necklace we got in Fiji. New Zealand is very strict about what goes into the country. We had no problems and met Dana Maray, our tour director. She had been requested by one of our group leaders because they thought she was outstanding. She did indeed make a good first impression. She gave us details about Australia and New Zealand as we headed out of town to go to Rotorua.

Our first stop was at a place I recognized from my previous trip. I had a Hokey-Pokey ice cream cone and enjoyed it. I decided that my goal was to have at least one a day while I was in New Zealand. The store also sold sweaters and other textile stuff that is so famous in New Zealand.

We also stopped at the town of Matamata, where it has also billed itself as Hobbiton. It was the location that Peter Jackson chose for the land of the Lord of the Rings movie. He originally came to ask the farmer who owned the land during a NZ rugby match. The farmer said come back after the game to talk. The deal was that the farmer's land would be restored to normal after the film the film was done and it was. Since so many visitors have come to pay homage to the film, they are rebuilding Hobbiton on his farm for tourists. He is making a great profit from the tours.

Chelsea Wiles, Stephanie Cahoon, Kayla Sherwood, Alex Bukoski, Sam Patton, and Gollum

We arrived at the hotel Sudima next to Lake Rotorua and the sulfur smells. An hour later we ate at the hotel. Later the six Saranac students reserved one of the private spas for a half hour to enjoy themselves.

Exchange rate: $100 = 150 New Zealand dollars.