Rotorua to Auckland to Paihia

Saturday 3 July 2010

We only had one roommate last night. The night before, we were alone. This has been the nicest hostel so far. The only down side was that I had to literally sit on the bottom bed when Mom went down the ladder. If I wasn't in the bed, the whole bed would tip over. Not very safe.

Anyway, we got to our bus stop in Rotorua and had a 4 hour bus ride to Auckland. It was pretty but not very exciting. The bus stopped at the wharf in Auckland. We got off and started walking when I realised my camera was not in my backpack. I left it on the bus. So I went to the bus and had to wait for the bus driver to open the doors after looking through the bus. Fortunately, I was able to get it back quickly.

Then we sat down by the wharf and met Alison. We swapped stories and talked for a while. Then we got back on the bus. We sat in the back row so we could all sit together, but we couldn't see out of the windows very well. It was 3 1/2 hours long, but it felt like the longest bus ride ever. The bus dropped us off in Paihia.

We headed toward the hostel, but thought it just didn't look right. So I went toward a hotel and started up the steps. When I got to the top, I realised that it wasn't a hotel I was going into, but a really fancy restaurant with glass windows. So here I am all sweaty, just getting off a bus and have traveled a while. They can see me with my jacket and my hair a mess while they are in their suits and fancy dresses eating a multi course meal. I swung around quickly and descended the steps. Then we proceeded to a petrol station and got directions. We walked in the direction the guy at the petrol station told us and still thought it seemed strange. We saw a whole group of guys who looked like they were bar hopping. It may be a tiny town, but drinking is obviously this town's point of interest. By this point, a van pulled up and asked if they could help us. We told them where we were trying to go, and they told us to hop in, and they would take us there. We decided to take the ride. We were really grateful.

We got to the hostel, and the reception was closed. Alison figured out how to open a box to get our keys (with great difficulty). Then we went in our 8 person room that was uniquely shaped. It was crowded and the beds were layered. It was a kind of bunk bed where part of the bed is under another, but the part that is under is only about 1 1/2 feet under the other bed. Alison was on the lower bed, so she was having an interesting time trying to get the sheets on.

The bathroom is small and the sink is tiny. The soap dispenser is in the way, so when you are brushing your teeth and need to spit, you really have to angle your mouth and spit quite violently or else it will end up on your feet.

So ends our first day in Paihia.