Day 12 Tauranga

Today was a blustery and chilly day in Tauranga. It’s pretty small (well, it’s a big for NZ) but I dedicated today to wandering it’s streets and pottering about in it’s shops.

I stopped by a local chocolcate shop and treated myself to some handmade chocolates before relocating to Starbucks (I know, not very exciting when you’re in a new town) to warm up for a little bit.

I didn’t really take any photos of the town, as the focus is all around the harbour and the strand, which doesn't look quite as impressive in pictures on a cloudy day!

I found a little cinema in the afternoon though and I finally got to see ‘How to train your Dragon 2’! I cried when I saw the first one, and I might have, possibly, cried during the second one! I really liked it, and it just so happens Tuesday is the cinema's cheap ticket night!

There' a big organisation moving into all the rooms tomorrow, so the two girls I was sharing with are having to move to a B&B for 3 nights, and then move back to the hostel, which is harder than it sounds when you've been living somewhere for over a month like those two. Luckily I don't have to go anywhere! 

I'm heading over to 'The Mount' tomorrow, and fingers crossed the weather magically improves as so far the forecast isn't looking promising for climbing it!

Day 11 Loft 109

A day of rest of rest has done my ankle the world of good, I managed to hobble down to breakfast, and make my way over to the library, with all my stuff, without too much hassle!

After catching the bus to Ngatea (however you think that’s pronounced, you’re probably wrong! Nar-Tee-Ah) where I chatted to a Canadian whose family is from Glasgow. Then I caught another bus to Tauranga (which is where I am right now). We got here a fair bit later than planned because the bus wasn’t feeling too happy. The air-con was playing up so the windows were majorly steamed up, but the worrying bit was where we had to pull over to the side of the road a few times because we ‘lost’ a gear. First it was 5^th gear, 20 minutes later 7^th went, then it was 3^rd… now I don't really know what that means, but basically we couldn’t go very fast. But we did make it in one piece!

One of the many little balconies dotted around the hostel 

I walked straight past the hostel as it’s one of those situated above shops, so on the ground level there's just a doorway leading to some stairs. It’s also a lot closer to the centre than I originally thought (which is always nice). And it’s next to a Japanese restaurant that’s really good – I’ve just got back from treating myself to Tofu Teriyaki Don!

Oh and as the hostel's name suggests, my room is up 3 flights of stairs - which my ankle is just loving