Rotorua

On the morning of the 1st (was it really March already??) we drove to Rotorua, about an hour north of Lake Taupo. Having no real agenda for the city, we checked out some Maori centres then used some coupons to get free beer at the Pig & Whistle and a good deal on coffee at another place. In the afternoon we drove south to a nearby hot spring and bathed in a scorching hot waterfall which refreshed all of us tired campers and removed some of the grease from our hair. I couldn't believe how hot it was - it was way warmer than any hot tub, and completely natural. Awesome!

Before ...

... and after! Much happier :)

After our cleansing stop we drove south toward Wellington and spent the night at a campground near Otaki. We were finally able to have a fire and enjoy ourselves at the site, so we stocked up on snacks and had ourselves a great time.

Wednesday morning we drove the rest of the way to Wellington, returned Rorihirrim to the car rental (sad times) and flew back to Christchurch. Being back in the city felt really strange; I felt like I'd been gone for a long time. Our residence is empty, as most international students have left already - either back to their home countries or transferred to different schools in New Zealand and Australia. Around half of the people I've met have already left or are planning on leaving ... it feels like a ghost town here. Most students can be found volunteering with the UC Student Army, which is working hard to clear sand and other messes around the city. Hopefully when classes resume it'll feel more like a uni again.