Rotorua

Day 5: Friday, February 7 – Maori Culture and Race Prep

Breakfast on the house thanks to Chrissy- did you know could cook eggs in the microwave? Fresh from the chickens.

Race Packet pickup starts at 1030 – race director tips at 11am. Scoped out the 50k, 100k and 100 milers.

Lunch at Smoked – manager was impressed with our knowledge of regional bbq sauces.

Received an alert that route burn track is closed for the season! Mudslide destroyed to Milford sound. Looks we’ll be making a return trip. Thankfully we weren’t one of the 360 tourists that were trapped!Immediately booked campsites on Kepler track despite rubi’s initial hesitation to a 37 mile long hike 🙂

Redwoods Whakarewarewa Forest and Redwoods Treewalk suspended among the 100 yr old mammoths imported from California.

Back to Airbnb for first nap of the trip. Back home we nap every day we have off!

Mitai Maori Village – emcee impresses the crowd with ability to say “save room for the chocolate cake” in 15 different languages. Enjoyed hangi – dessert included pavlova and chocolate log. Evening included canoe grand entrance, singing, haka, and glow worm walk.

Bed by 10 for the race!

Day 6: Saturday, February 8 – Rotorua Half Marathon!

Plenty of time to catch the 850am shuttle to blue lake for the start. 1020am race start for the Tarawera half marathon!

Lunch at Zacatecas Mexican restaurant four types of tacos (note the non-traditional beans-in-tacos). Time for second nap of the trip and a night cap at Okere Store’s German beer garden to recap the week.