Jan. 5th Otorohanga

Once more, i have a few minutes on the computer, so will continue the saga.
At Rotorua still: yesterday afternoon, after the museum we met up with Tony, Tyler, Kolina and Austin at our motel. Great to see them again and in less than 6 months instead of waiting a whole year! We went off for a maori Hangi – a traditional feast at a replica maori village and marie ( meeting house) , complete with warrior greetings, artisans, dancers and a concert, and then a great meal. The buffet style dinner was fairly western in that it was roast chicken and lamb, but cooked very traditionally in a maori hangi or earth oven. It was a really good experience and a great visit with our friends. After a drink back at ther motel, we all turned in, and were up early to pack this morning. Then it was off to the Skyline Luge adventure centre. There we piled into gondolas for a ride up the hill, and rode “luges” – really just like little go carts, down the side of the hill – really a lot of fun !!
After lunch – the kids won (5 of them, 3 of us) – we went to McDonald’s- we did some last minute shopping for souvenirs and headed off in search of Hobbiton. We didn’t actually find the exact site, at least it isn’t marked, but had a lovely drive through very hobbit -like country side – kept expecting to see the little furry-footed creatures emerge from a round door in the side of a hill!
here we parted with the Kretzschmars, Tony and kids to go back north to Auckland and on to a week on the Gold Coast in Australia, and us to the South to Waitomo caves. So here we are now – it is 6 p.m. on Monday the 5th and we are checked into our little cabin. We have 5 beds, a small fridge and a TV ( Quinn is thrilled), and a communal washhouse and kitchen. We will head into the town of Otorohanga to find food and check out cave tours for tonight or tomorrow. That is, after I get the laundry done – again!!
More soon from Auckland – we go there for tomorrow night and Wwed. and leave New Zealand on Thur. at noon