This morning we woke up at 7 and headed out for some scones and tea/coffee around 9 at a sweet cafe. We did a little shopping then got back to our hotel room to finish packing up and checked out at noon. We had them hold our luggage because we had somewhere to go before getting to the airport at 5!

With Gertrude joining us, we went to Hell’s Gate – where the center of the earth meets the sky. It is NZ most active geothermal reserve and mud spa. We started with a self guided geothermal walk! It was like being back in Yellowstone. Bubbling water, steam spouts, mud hills!

After our walk we headed to the cafe and each had fish and chips for lunch before heading for the mud spa. It was something I didn’t have any idea was on my bucket list. But that’s checked off now! The water was 96 degrees and the mud went on smooth and silky on your skin. You are only allowed to be in it for 20 minutes. Then you rinse off and can go into a spring water pool 10 degrees cooler or a sulphur pool which is also warm. I opted for the sulphur pool and Bill and Gertrude also went to the colder pool. After all that mud and sulfur, the showers indoors got you feeling really clean. Dressed and ready to leave we needed to hustle because we had to go back to the hotel and immediately to the airport for our last flight in NZ back to where we started in Auckland.

A short flight and Uber ride, we settled into our hotel for our final 5 days here! Cannot believe it! It went by so fast! Hungry we headed for the restaurant right off the lobby. Good vittles. Good day. Good night!