We left Kerikeri for Paihia on Saturday, and after relaxing on the beach there, caught a bus Sunday to Rotorua. One nice thing about the bus (even an 8+ hour ride) is being able to appreciate the scenery. The hills seemed to roll on forever (and hills are a big deal for two kids who grew up on Long Island) and were full of cows, sheep, horses, and even Alpacas!. We decided that Happy Cows don't come from California, the ones here are way happier. Also the ratio of number of people we've seen to number of sheep we've seen has tipped greatly in favor of the sheep.
Monday (the 25th) we got up early and tried to walk to the Blue and Green Lakes. We walked first through the Redwood forest just south of town. The trees were magestic and beautiful. Apparently California Redwoods grow faster in Rotorua because of the sulfur in the soil. We followed the trail for 5+ hours (mostly uphill, we're champs) toward the Blue Lake. It took a lot of will and courage, but Mai finally conquered her fear... and peed outside for the first time since 3rd grade! ("Props to me"- Mai) We finally made it all the way to the Blue Lake (only getting lost once) and were so joyus that the long walk was over that we changed into our bathing suits and... stood in the freezing cold lake with the water up to our knees. Oh well. 
Any hope of seeing the Green Lake was quickly diminished by the dark clouds and loud thunder barreling our way... and the idea of more walking. It came down to a choice between walking more than 5 hours back in a probable thunderstorm or braving the New Zealand hitchhiking scene. We chose the latter and were remarkably successful. With the help of a sign, we got picked up by a young couple (maybe 18 or 19 years old) and driven within a mile or two of our hostel. How great! It certainly gave us more faith in humanity or at least in this country. 
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