So it's chilly and rainy out...time to hit hot springs! Now, there aren't the crazy steaming springs like in Rotorua, but there are sulphuric springs. We didn't want to pay the $25 per person for an upscale spa, so a local sent us to the $4 Ngawha Springs. |
The Ngawha Springs: A junkyard esthetic that we found both charming and awesome. Funny side note: "Ngawha" is pronounced "Na-fa." When we asked a local for directions, he said "Ngawha's not far," but his accent made it sound like "Na-fa's na fa." I thought it was funny. He didn't get my amusement. |
Hot pools! In the mud! In Ngawha! |
Pool shark! |
The silica mud in the pools does wonders for your skin... |
Look at me! I'm in a hot spring in New Zealand! |
Mmmmmud. |
On our very last day in Paihia, the sun finally came out. It wasn't particularly warm, but it was perfect weather to swim with dolphins! So we packed our towels and headed to the dock! |
Matt is King Of the Dolphins. |
Our little boat which took us to the dolphins. |
Waiting on Paihia's town dock. |
We board the boat, and we're off on our dolphin adventure!!! |
The boat company had a "if you don't see dolphins, you can cruise tomorrow for free until you see them" guarantee. We didn't need to re-sail- we saw them immediately!! |
Paihia is one of the best places in the world to see dolphins. They are wild, not tamed or penned, and they are migratory. That means that instead of bothering the same pod of local dolphins over and over every day, visitors get to see wild dolphins who are just stopping by en route to somewhere else. |
And they're playful!! |
Matt prepares to jump in that very cold water and swim with the wild dolphins! |
All this, and a rainbow, too. |
Two dolphins swam near us for most of the cruise. |
Matt (on the left) gets extremely close to a wild dolphin. |
Matt, swimming with a dolphin! |