For my birthday, Jan booked a room at The Retreat in Taupo, and made dinner reservations at Roquette. And then this morning, she gave me carte blanche to pick the activity for today. Not complete carte blanche mind you – bungee jumping was out – but almost anything else was fair game. I looked at boat rides and scenic hikes, and then I spotted the Wairakei Thermal Spa, and it was settled.
Fair warning to our friends and family who are still digging out from multiple snowstorms, or enduring bitter cold temperatures. You may want to stop reading now.
We had a leisurely morning looking out over Lake Taupo. Once again, my body battery continued to recharge throughout the morning. About noon, we headed for the spa. We checked in, changed, and then walked to the pools, past a Māori carving.
The centerpiece of the spa is a sequence of three pools, heated by thermal springs, with a range of temperatures to suit every taste. The hottest pool can be very hot!
And if you are foolish enough to go outside the pool area, it can be dangerous.
The pool itself is lovely, and as you can see, it wasn’t particularly crowded, which was great.
Jan’s biggest fear was that the water would be too hot, but she managed to find a spot that worked.
Of course, the pool that was far too hot for Jan, was just right for me.
After a bit of experimenting, we managed to find a spot that worked for both of us.
We spent close to two hours relaxing in the hot pools and enjoying the therapeutic waters. Then it was back to The Retreat to relax and get ready for dinner. Tomorrow we head to Mount Maunganui. It’s a short drive so we will be able to take our time and stop to view some of the sights along the Thermal Highway, including Rotorua.
If It Was Today... 
Happy birthday Jim. A great way to usher in the next decade.
Belated Birthday wishes!! Welcome to my decade. Most of your posts bring back great memories. We’ll have to try for some up-to-date memories, maybe as soon as next winter! On a sadder note, I’m sure Peter has informed you, and I don’t know all the details, but I hear that ‘Brew Revolution’ may be closing. Nothing is forever, I guess! Rotorua has a great volcanic park even though it’s pretty smelly! Can’t wait for the next installment!
Happy birthday Jim. It sounds as if you had a wonderful day. I am really enjoying following along on your adventures. Keep having a great time.
Cheers, Jane
I had a great day – two in fact. Being in a radically different time zone has its benefits. Glad you’re enjoying the blog. I enjoy writing them, and it helps us remember what we’ve done – if you aren’t careful, it all blurs together into one continuous pleasant memory.
I’m pleased to join you in the decade for the “cool kids”. Might as well embrace it, right? After all, you’re only old once. I’m also glad that we might have helped get you and Wendy thinking about a return trip. I’m sure we’ll be back … though we’re hearing some positive reviews for Australia too. Difficult choices.
As for BR, I see that you guys are going for Monday Beer Club this week. Say hi to the gang for me. I’ll try to find a suitable spot here and maybe send a picture.
I’ll pass on your best wishes as we try to find out what’s really going on with BR. Happy Maunganui!