Nicholas was looking forward to exploring the Thermal springs and geysers and mud baths at Rotorua on 12th February as well as the lake in the town. More rain had been predicted but he was up at 7 am and could see that the sun was coming out. He made sure he had checked out by 8 am and on his way. The early start meant he missed some of the heavy coachloads of tourists that he was begining to loathe appeared by 10 am. The Geyser and Mud springs were phenomenal and highlighted for him the completely weird and wonderful world we inhabit. He was on the road early to his next destination Tauranga and Mount Maunganui. It was of course shrouded in mist and the whole of the Bay of Plenty seemed similarly mysteriously overcast, He had read his map in error and thought the stretch of beach he was at was called the Forgotten World Coast, and felt, with the eerily misty and empty shore, that it was an astonishingly  apt name. For once though, it appeared he was wrong. He had a small lunch and headed off for Hamilton where he was going to meet Emily and Conell who had been living in New Zealand for the past year. En Route he encountered the Hobbiton Movie set. It was not his intention to go and visit something he believed to be so crassly commercial but he did want to take a look and before he knew it he had parted with $79 and was joining a coach load of tourists to drive around and then walk around for the sets built for The Lord of the Rings and Hobbit trilogys. Yes, despite his concerns, he did enjoy himself and particularly the company of a quartet from Ipswich, 2 gentlemen from Tipparary and Charlotte the tour guide from Somerset. It had turned into a gloriously hot day in Hobbiton and cheerily he finished his journey to Hamilton. It was a real treat to see friends from Brighton and Nicholas treated them to a meal at Mexico before he was given a short tour of the city centre and the river. He was astonished to see a square devoted to Richard O’brien and his contribution to world culture, ‘The Rocky Horror Show’ With Public Toilets and a stue of Riff Raff. They sat and watch night fall over the  city in a rather cool and newly developed rest area by the river. Far from home, thinking of family and friends and the continution of life in Brighton bought a mement of melancholy but discussing the excitement that lay ahead for all of them quickly evaporated that mood.