It's a wrap!

What a wonderful long weekend, started last Thursday in the wee small hours of the morning, when we (Rowing man and I) boarded our early flight to Rotorua...(off on our journey to the 4 day conference for General Practitioners and Practice Nurses), we got as far as Wellington, and the ongoing flight to Rotorua was put on hold due to fog at Rotorua. We ended up flying into Tauranga, and busing the hour road trip to Rotorua, which in actual fact was really rather pleasant..

This is the Rotorua Art Gallery and Museum, and is very typical of the Tudour type architecture that settled colonial Rotorua, they are set in really lovely grounds, the surrounding grassy areas being croquet and bowls lawns, hence the fine manicure.. that you don't quite see in these late afternoon photos.

and of course, Rotorua is well known for the hot thermal springs, that are just every where, and is one of the main reasons that Rotorua was settled as early as it was. It was very much an area that was very popular for therapeutic treatment for aches, pains, and of course arthritis treatments.. so a number of therapy spas and treatment sanitariums were set up,

an Rotorua is also a popular touist attraction for the Maori Cuture and the Maori Village, and of course there are many Maori legends and folklore, detailing the history of this area.

Today, (Sunday), the last day of the 4 day (GP) conference, the weekend was finished off very nicely, when I left rowing man at the conference listening to a talk on "the use of statins in cardiovascular disease"... tough choice, yeh I know~

...for a wonderful wonderful mud wrap, and facial head neck and shoulder massage at the Polynesian Spa, if you have ever had one of these you will certainly agree with me that they are just to die for!!!,

They take the mud from these hot mud pools, heated by the grounds natural thermal springs, then dehydrate it to remove the sulphur content(which is what makes it so pongy), it goes to the spas in powder form, where they add fresh spring water and reconstitute it to spread it over the body, how wonderful!

The mud stays on whilst you have a steam bath, and then you wash it off in the shower afterwards, it is amazing to watch all that mud running donw the shower drains, ...... followed by a GREAT rub down with manuka honey and some really lovely oils... I was so so tired on the flight home this afternoon.... I was supposed to have this treatment yesterday, but when I turned up for my appointment, they had made an error, and I rescheduled for today. How lucky it turned out really, as if I had had this yesterday, I am sure that I would not have been able to stay wake long enough to enjoy the dinner dance, let alone the replay of the rugby game (NZ All Blacks vs France) 'til the very wee small hours... and then get up for the early breakfast lecture which started at 6.45am... hmmmm not such a great game huh...

So I did also spend some flight time doing these.. haven't crocheted for absolutely ages and ages, but I do have a project in mind...

can I just leave you then with these great photos of Rotorua lake front...





I do rather like this one..

off to bed now, nite all! .....