Friday the 14th of Feburary, a journey from fascination over confusion to excitement – a big day in my, but especially Anna’s life.

Driving from the Coromandel Peninsula to the area of Rotorua, we could smell the special sight we would visit that day already. I remembered that smell very well from some days in Costa Rica. It almost makes you searching for rotten eggs in your backpack, because it smells like you could have forgotten some in there.

When we arrived at the carpark of Rotorua’s Therman Wonderland, we knew that we were not the only people visiting Wai-O-Tapu. Tourist busses and caravans stood closely next to each other and the parking lot staff was telling you where to go.

But once we were inside of the walking track that leads you to different places of the active geothermal area, we did not recognise all these people around us too much. Everyone had space to explore the different sights that the scenic reserve had to offer.

From Champaign Pools, to steam coming out of the earth and the famous coloured acid lake, we saw yet another side of New Zealand. All over a sudden we realised what it means to be on the Shaky Isles, how many Australians call New Zealand. Lying on the margin of two colliding tectonic plates, the Pacific and Indo-Australian, New Zealand is know for its special and beautiful sights caused by the plates, but also for the great earthquakes that cause a serious danger.

Walking the pathways we saw unexpected colours and were fascinated what Mother Nature has to offer. Once more it has two sides. Something threatening can cause something as special and as beautiful as the Wai-O-Tapu.

With the white steam it also looked a bit mystical. To really enjoy all of it you needed to block your nose for some parts as the sulfur smell got very intense the closer you came to the lake.

The colours the different lakes had could tell you a lot about the chemical elements that were in there and which PH value they caused.

Leaving the touristic area we drove on to visit something recommended in a tourist guide. Following that we did not expect anything to be strange or too far away, as mostly the guide leads you to hotspots or nice places that are not too remote.

Our target destination was the Tarawera Falls. And what should I say, it turned out to be a real adventure. We followed the route the navigation system told us and changed from the highway to gravel roads. Unlike most of the time the road kept being built of gravel. We drove past tree cutting businesses and it felt like hours, being on that road without any street signs. In the middle of the route we asked ourselves if this was really leading to something we wanted to visit or if this turned out to be on private property.

Just when the thought of turning around arrived, we saw a sign for a walking track. It was not the falls, but at least that gave us the sign to be a trekking area. So we kept on going.

When we finally arrived we were not disappointed. The pathway first led us through another beautifully coloured river.

And going further we saw the falls which reached high up to the rocks causing not only an impressive look but also an incredible sound. No one else was around and it was a beautiful contrast to the crowded place that we saw earlier the day.

But we were not completely alone. On the way back we had a nice coincidence. Driving on the gravel road I had my eyes concentrated on the outer edges of the road as I was used to it when driving in the woods at home. And unlike the most things we find on the road, which are very often dead animals, I saw something moving. After slowing down immediately we stopped to meet our lovely fella:

He hasn’t got a name and was very shy. He even refused the water I offered him because he looked so dry and sad. Probably that was because he could see how insane Anna and I are, but it was a pleasure for us to see him and guide him safely to the other side of the road where he cannot be driven to death anymore.

For me the only thing that remained on our day-plan was going to the supermarket, arriving to the campsite and making a BBQ. For Anna the highlight was still to come. She had spoken about it various times and was excited for weeks and weeks. Valentine’s Day 2020, even though she had to share that special moment with so many other people around the world it was time for…banging drums…. Justin Bieber’s new album. Yeah…

I will never forget that day. The day which should mark the beginning of listening to that album on the long drives from one place to another. I couldn’t await it….

But what should I say, I have rarely seen Anna that happy and excited and I got my revenge in advance with the full variety of good oldies, German punk, loads of OSTs and not to forget, Vivaldi, on the days before. So at the end of the day, having our BBQ, we had spent another exciting and lovely day of our trip.