We were packed up in the bus by 9.20am and on our way out of Rotorua. Our first stop was a controversial one: Kerosene Creek. Luke had found this online as a beautiful spot to swim in a warm geothermal pool, and Beck had read less than flattering reviews, such as thieves in the area who rob vehicles, bacteria in the water and broken glass on the bottom of the pool 😩

About 40 minutes south of Rotorua we found the turn off and parked next to the walking track. We immediately decided to go in two groups so one group could mind the bus (well, protect it from the junkies parked next to us 😬). It was a beautiful spot, but the number of Maoris already bathing there made it a bit awkward to enjoy, and definitely turned us off actually experiencing it ourselves!

We drove on towards Lake Taupo, stopping just before there at Haku Falls, where 220,000 litres of water per second barrels over an 11m high waterfall. And it was only a 3 minute walk to access the lookout!

At Taupo we grabbed some lunch from Bakers Delight to eat in the bus looking out over the lake, and travelled on down the heritage trail to Napier. Napier is in the wine-producing region of Hawke’s Bay, and was rebuilt in Art Deco style after a 1931 earthquake. We spent some time walking the streets to admire the Art Deco buildings (we were too tight to pay for any paid tours) and returned to our motel apartments so the kids could enjoy the (free!) games room.

Abi sat down to do some schoolwork she brought with her (but still managed to stay abreast of anything happening on social media) and we settled in for the evening. Ross and Luke went grocery shopping again, and we had Dominos pizzas followed by a spa for Belle and the boys before bed.