New Year’s Eve

This was to be our second New Year’s Eve outside of the UK after our trip to Madrid two years ago. Today we left Auckland and the comfort of the Eden hostel, for Rotorua, place of the smelly eggs and our home for the next four evenings.

The journey was fairly uneventful for me (I fell asleep) although we did stop in a pretty town called Cambridge for lunch and a ‘chocolate slice’ (along with pies there are quite a few different ‘slices’ you can buy in New Zealand). We arrived early afternoon to our accommodation - Alpin motel. This Motel is the best place we have stayed in so far on the trip and possibly the best we have ever stayed. Despite it being a Motel we have a kitchen, lounge area, two tv’s and…wait for it…our own personal hot tub!! I can’t wait to try it out after one of my races. There is also a really nice swimming pool on site and a trampoline and swings for Chris.

So we were just thinking that things couldn’t get much better when it came up to run time. We all went out together in a big group today as it was only an easy run before the race tomorrow and with the help of one of the local runners who had come to join us, we ran the short distance to Redwood Forest. Chris and myself were amazed and excited when we reached the forest and found it is an ideal place for running. Smooth tracks with only small slopes, and underfoot it was almost bouncy. There were trees all around and over the top which sheltered you from the sun and wind and it felt like you were just springing along. One of the best places I have ever run.

Finally, it was time to see in the New Year. We went into Rotorua centre for a Kiwi run group meal at one of the thai restaurants, and then to the lake front to watch some bands that were playing. However, it was actually pretty cold and most of us were freezing, so after some of the boys had run around with a rugby ball for fifteen minutes, we headed back to the motel to thaw out. We were then entertained by the more musical members of the group with a guitar and singing until about 10:30pm by which time we were all exhausted and went to bed. No-one in the whole group made it until midnight!!


Steve strumming away...

So finally we have reached the last day of 2009. The end of a year which has had some big highs and big lows for us both. 2010 promises much and we have some exciting times ahead, not only on this trip but when we get back. Perhaps life is only just beginning?