NZ - Hells Gate

As we had limited time available before our flight back to Australia we made a move the next morning for our 2nd part of our “tourist package” HELLS GATE! This was a bit more of the same - steaming rocks, bubbling mud and smelly sulphur pools. We heard that the sulphur pools were good for the skin, so despite the eggy smell, we both washed our hands in the sulphur pool – skin didn’t become instantly baby soft, so not sure it was worth the smell ;)



On our way back, there was a wood shop and the carpenter showed us how to do some traditional NZ carvings. Marc chiseled out a silver fern and Evelyn did the heart-leaf. More haste less speed being the key. Marc’s was so good, the carpenter offered to buy it for his shop, but some things MasterCard cant buy ;)

Our main reason for coming here was the mud bath. We opted for a private soak, where we could throw mud at each other in peace ;) This was basically a bamboo enclosure with a muddy bath, where the bottom of the bath was pure mud. We were only allowed 20 minutes in here, due to the properties of the mud.



By the time the attendant knocked on our door to tell us that it was shower time we were covered head to toe in mud, with Marc doing an “Arnie Predator” pose. Marc enjoyed spraying Evelyn down with the freezing cold water hose. Although Evelyn had a trick up her sleeve - as shortly before she got out the “tub” she managed to water down the mud that had set, however she had piled the mud onto Marc and when he had to have his shower it took twice as long ;)



There were two more warm sulphur pools – we lasted no more than 5 minutes in the last pool as the smell began to make us nauseous. We then decided it was about time to get out so we showered and changed, picked up some face masks for our mums on our way out and set off on our long journey to Matamata aka Hobbiton.