Vlog #6 - Okoroire Hot Springs & Bowling

Tirau & Okoroire Hot Springs...

Making the most of our downtime before flying a few of us set off with no specific plans and came across a little township / village called Tirau, supposedly home to some of New Zealand's finest corrugated iron. The buildings / structures along the main road are made out of said material and represent animals and people. Whilst you can only see the dog and jesus in the photo above, there were also a sheep, rams and further along a school bus. We stopped here for a quick toilet break and to treat ourselves to an ice cream (there are so many Magnum flavours here!!) when we noticed a road sign for the Okoroire Hot Springs. Having nothing better to do, we decided to go and check them out.

When we got there we discovered the springs were managed by a local pub / hotel and that they let them out hourly for $10 a person. With half an hour to kill before our slot we opted to try some locally brewed beer and Ian, whose hand you can see holding a coke, offered to be our designated driver home. The springs themselves were found behind a locked door at the end of a tranquil walkway which was surrounded by trees on either side. Having expected nothing more than a few holes we we're surprised at how nice the springs were and to top it off, we were the only people there! It was a great end to an otherwise dull day. 

Bowling

With the majority of the CP being scheduled to fly on the 4th April, the incredibly overcast skies and non-stop rain from embedded cumulonimbus clouds resulted in not one aircraft departing. With nothing else to do our CP decided to head down to the Hamilton bowling alley which offers a student deal of $7 per game every Tuesday. It was pretty fun and I even got a strike or two, although my performance dwindled during the second game. I write this now sat in my room about to head to sleep hoping the weather tomorrow holds off just enough so I can get airborne for my second lesson. However, if weather forecasts are anything to go by then it's likely I'll be cancelled tomorrow too.

All the best,

George.