The Road Trip

So myself and the Frenchies left Hamilton around lunchtime, stopping to check out a 7m waterfall over which they had gone earlier that week whilst white-water rafting - don't think I'm that keen... By the end of the day we had ended up a couple of hours northwest in Tauranga (adjacent to Mt. Maunganui where I spent NYE). We played a few games of pool (Kiwi rules - only a one-shot penalty when the white or opponent's ball is potted) and the guys tried to teach me some French: cela fait mille fois je te le répète!
On our way out in the morning, we thought we'd take a casual stroll up Mt. Maunganui, which boasts lovely views over the picturesque shoreline and nearby islands and the not-as-picturesque township. After some fish and chips on the beach, we headed further north to the quiet historical town of Thames in the Coromandel peninsula, detouring briefly to Opoutere for another sandy stint on the wide and serene (apart from the occasional motorbike) beach there. The Sunkist backpackers where we stayed in Thames was actually very nice, but I've never seen such high bunk beds in my life - and with no safety rails!!! Good old OH&S (or OSH over here) in action.
Saturday morning, we shot off early to get back to Hamilton for the boys' rugby match. The hot-air balloon festival was postponed that night due to bad weather, so after the guys left I took to the streets instead. It was this night I came across an interesting statue of a man in drag.. Turns out that the idea for the cult-classic The Rocky Horror Picture Show was born in the mind of its writer, Hamilton local Richard O'Brien, right there at the now-demolished Embassy theatre in the centre of town in the early 1970s. The random things we discover whilst wandering aimlessly!
I awoke at about 0630hr to the sound of the roaring burners of hot-air balloons flying overhead, obviously having a bit of fun before the big event that night. I had to wait around for that big event so I filled my Sunday with walking around the Hamilton Gardens - very nice - and visiting the Māori Queen's official residence, Tūrongo House at Tūrangawaewae marae in Ngāruawāhia: By the 1850s, the Māori people were feeling quite intimidated by the increased colonisation of their country by the British following the Treaty of Waitangi, and so around this time many tribal chiefs started what is known today at the Māori King Movement whereby they elect a particular chief into a symbolic role similar in status to the British monarch.
The balloon festival was quite cool, about 12 huge colourful balloons lit up in a field within the Waikato University.. including a big red inflatable dog! I thought they were going to go for a night flight, but I was sadly disappointed. The fireworks later on were pretty speccy too.
And then on to my next stop...

Photos:
1. Supermen at the base of the Mount
2. How's my hair? Julien on top of Mt. Maunganui
3. A giant bunny? Where's Donny?
4. Moi at the beach in Opoutere
5. A little high for my liking!
6. Julien (left) and JC posing as my rather inconspicuous bodyguards..
7. Oooooh! Ahhhhh!
8. It's just a jump to the left...