More of Ohiwa Beach then onto Golden Springs

Having arrived there, it is very hot so we park up and cream up and get the budgies and bikini on then over to the beach for a frolic in the surf. it,s big surf with a strong undercurrent, it,s so strong the navigator is divested of her vest( good job it wasn't a debrief) nobody must have noticed as the lifeguards remained at their post. We would have loved to have stopped another night here and had a day on the beach but we felt that we must get on!
Onto Golden Springs halfway between Rotorua and Taupo,where we had arranged to meet Rachel Watts, who lives and works in Reparoa. Before we get to Rachel there are 1 or 2 navigational skills to be applied. After 30 mins of driving the navigator has sent us wrong 3 times, first was the first turn out of the camp which just lead down to the sea as our biscuit tin is not amphibious we had to turn round and go back past the camp gates.Other errors included the driver not knowing I meant this left and not that left! At Rotorua we plan to stop at Whakarewarewa pronounced Whakarewarewa (far-car-ray wa ray wa) A Maori thermal village complete with hot springs, bubbling mud and a geyser that is supposed to blow off but didn't, but we have a picture on a postcard. Whilst the place stank of rotten eggs it was really interesting, watched a Moari woman make the beginnings of a dancing skirt( rope,sisal,grass or something!) After nearly 2 hours of being steam cleaned we bought a couple of Hangie butties from their cafe. Hangie is a traditional way of cooking, often underground the original slow cooker. Here it was the natural thermal heat of the place that cooked the meat in a box on the ground. They cooked the veg in a natural boiling pool. We think it was pork and beef tho Peter said it was Possum! More scenery on the way to Golden Springs, which is a good way inland, and the camp has a stream running through it of warm water,that you could sit in. before we could try it out Rachel arrived and whisked us off for a tour of the local area, very rural and not unlike Warwickshire Except for the thermal springs everywhere.Rachel took us to one that has been upgraded to a bath,about the size of a small swimming pool.Just putting our feet in it seemed really hot, far too hot for Peter, but the navigator couldn't resist and eventually eased into the water. Rachel said it was about 37 degrees. Came out looking a bit like a lobster, but it was lovely. Off to the pub after, her local The Woolshed for an apperitif before dinner at Rachels. Rachel had arranged a lift back to camp for us. Not good day for navigation but we ended up in the right place.