the day after the marathon - shaun of the dead zombie style

Walking around town today, you could tell the marathoners at fifty paces.  Not just from their finisher’s shirts, but also from the “Shaun of the Dead” zombie shuffle.  Ha ha, my calves are not thrilled with me today, but they are nothing compared with what some of those poor people are experiencing. 

I am supposed to be taking it easy today but the lure of geothermal activity proved too much.  After a nice time at the finisher’s breakfast today meeting marathoners (including the woman who was I think the oldest female competitor, and had just done her 15^th Rotorua Marathon), smacking my kneecap on the table leg, and then collecting a coffee from the Fat Dog Café, I headed for Kuirau Park.  It was cool, but I wanted more. 

I had some lunch, and then headed for Whakarewarewa, thinking I would see geysers close up as I had the last time I was there in about 1995.  Sadly, the answer was no, but I only found that out on arrival.  Some years ago, they split the park in two and the geysers are now at Te Puia, which costs a small fortune to enter.  

However, I had a nice time at Whakarewarewa learning about the history of the village and its residents and ancestors.  I took some great photos, including some of the Prince of Wales and Pohutu geysers, albeit from a distance, the Korotiotio Pool and the bubbling mud around the back of the village. 

I am a bit sad that I did not get to see those geysers from closer range, but if I go back to Rotorua next May to do the Marathon I will definitely go to Te Puia.  We did manage to have an earthquake, which was cool, and I did see the final of the Amazing Race, which was great. 

Tomorrow evening it is back to Auckland.  Boo, hiss – I like being on holiday and generally hate going back to reality but this time it is okay.  I miss my bed, the pillows here are wafer thin and it was a cold night without my mink blanket and Siamese hot water bottle. Tonight will apparently be colder still.  Brrr!

Off to bed, it’s freezing and I’m struggling to keep my eyes open.