When I arrived in Rotorua, it was raining and as is the case most of the time, the weather reflected my mood. Despite my emotional ups and downs, 4 flights, constant movement and sometimes starvation, this was the first time in my trip I actually felt physically sick. I had a few days to be there, so on the first day I decided to thoroughly care for myself. I had a decent meal, then headed to Polynesian Spa. It was really nice, outdoors and it was a natural thermal hot spring. I should mention, the whole city smells like sulphur, which takes some getting used to. There was a reflexology foot path that I really loved and several beautiful pools that overlooked the actual lake. I spent a few hours there, then decided to find my air bnb and settle in. After that, I went out to get Tom Kha Kai soup which is my favorite thing when I’m sick. Then, since I was parked in front of a massage parlor and I thought that I deserved one massage on my trip, I indulged and got a 45 minutes massage. It was sooooooo nice. That night I had a ginger tea, which is also my favorite thing when I’m sick.

All the self care paid off because I felt 100% better by the next day. I went to the Waiotapu Thermal Wonderland and realized that almost everything I did in New Zealand was heavily touristy and well manicured, not the wild adventure I had imagined. The pools were visually stunning and express the diverse beauty of New Zealand. After I went to another thermal hot spring, close to Waiotapu. It was prettier and less of a spa, but just as crowded and touristy.  At this point it was time for me to drive back to Auckland because I had a flight the next morning. My adventures of the north island were basically over.