This morning, I sat down to breakfast next to a couple I later learned hailed from Liverpool. The man caught my attention first. Sam Cooke’s “A Change is Gonna Come”, played softly in the background, tragically set to elevator music, but this gentleman’s soulful whistle brought the song back to life. “I love your whistle”, I told him. “You can take him with you”, his wife said. “You can rent him out at parties.” We all laughed and began a lively conversation that went from travel, to kids, jobs, London in the ‘80s, and to music.
Yesterday in Waitomo, I had an intense, tearful conversation with a recently retired combat medic, who was travelling without a plan, trying to find her way back to normal.
The day before, I had an animated discussion about farming with a young man from the west coast of New Zealand, who was in Auckland for a Tool concert.
This is exactly why I love solo travel. These moments are gold. I’m not sure I’d start a conversation with a couple two tables away if I could more easily talk with those at my own. I can choose to chat, or I can be blissfully, gloriously alone.
I chose the latter later this morning, driving to a geothermal site in Taupo called Orakei Korako Geothermal Park and Cave. My travel agent, Matt, had recommended it, and I’m so glad he did. To get there, you cross a narrow waterway by boat, and I was the lone passenger. There was a fairly large group returning as I was arriving. With their departure, I walked the beautifully maintained boardwalk with nothing but hissing steam, bubbling mudpots, cicadas, and a birdsong soundtrack to break the silence. I didn’t see another soul on the loop. The area is a hotspot for geothermal activity, and Orakei Korako is a doozy. Reminiscent of Yellowstone, silica terraces are covered with black, green, and yellow algae, creating nature’s own abstract art.
The afternoon was young when I finished the loop, so I got on the road and went for a drive. The hills on the way to Rotorua are different from what I saw on the way out of Waitomo. These were younger mountains … taller, with sheer, rocky cliffs. More sheep. More cows, with a corresponding abundance of milk trucks. Also based on Matt’s recommendation, I made my way to Lava Glass, where I watched master glass artist, Lynden Over, create a beautiful vase. I didn’t leave there empty handed.
Tomorrow is an early wake-up call. I’m headed to Tongariro National Park to chase some waterfalls. Cheers!