My short stay at Rotorua had come to an end as the rest of New Zealand beckoned me. I felt in a silly mood this morning as I was off to Hobbiton, one of the places I dearly wanted to see. I hoped it would live up to my expectations, but just being there would be enough to put a big smile on my face.

So far Rotorua has proven itself to be every bit as fun and exciting as Taupo had been. What a great part of the world this is, with everything you could want all within an hour drive away. I had no idea what today would bring, but I hoped it would be something equally as memorable, especially as today was White Water Rafting day. But would it be everything I had hoped it would be?

After the fun and games that Taupo had to offer, Rotorua had a lot to live up to for me. As it turns out, though, Rotorua is a whole new playground, and being bored is not an option. What did day one have up its sleeve for me?

After the day spent hiking through the mountains yesterday, I had an idea to rest and relax today, perhaps sit by the lake in Taupo. I didn’t feel particularly energetic, and the thought of any more activities could not have been further from my mind. I wondered how I would end up spending the day…