Rotorua

  ROTORUA 

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I'm sure you all had a long weekend for the Easter celebration, here is Mumbai with the second wave of COVID  all places of worship are under lockdown, gatherings are curbed and the night curfew has left us all  house arrested. It was the same situation a year ago, I faced many challenges but we are called to be overcomers. The pandemic made me a chef, inspired by different recipes on Facebook,  I too cooked so many varieties. NOw as I look down the memory lane I can only laugh. 

Chef's special  during the lockdown 

Today we hear of many lockdown stories and most of us have memories that come to life especially during such times. As for me, my travel memories make me happy, bring a smile on my face, and make me anxious to enter the journey again. 

Recollecting the places I visited all the experiences and a different story to tell I can't wait to begin. Today I'm going to inform you about places to visit a drive away from Auckland city.

In the year 2012, I had visited Auckland with my family. I remember my son was age two when we visited this place. This was his first international trip. I chose a night flight to Singapore and then we took a halt at Aerotel Hotel at the Changi airport in Singapore to rest and later boarded the flight late evening. I usually plan a night flight as the children can fall asleep during the flying hours. This makes travel easy for me with children.

The next flight was 10 hours of flying I wondered, will my child be comfortable? how will he cope up with such long hours of travel? .... My dear first time mommies reading this , there 's no rom for getting jittery. Pack your bags and just be positive at all times. Please carry wet wipes diapers disposable bags for the diapers, toys, and don't forget the rash cream. Children so get a tired and there is little but of discomfort, but its a phase you will get through.  I traveled by Singapore airlines it was very comfortable and guess what they gave my son a big bag of goodies. It was good enough to keep him occupied throughout the journey. Yeyyyyy!!! 

I remember the jet lag so it took us three to four days to get over.  The weekend approached  so our plans to visit Rotorua was first on the list, just a couple of hours' drive from the city. 

Rotorua is a town famous for Maori culture, geysers and hot springs, and jaw-dropping landscapes. Here you can learn more about the Maori culture, tradition and see their beautiful carvings. The main attraction is their Maori village, here you can take part in a traditional cultural performance and also taste the famous Hangi meal.  In just a short drive from Rotorua, you can visit this village once you reach here. We had our bags packed all set for our journey, I had carried biscuits and dry snacks for us. Generally, my children don't eat a lot during outings, I, therefore prefer a glass of milk in the morning or before bed for them. As for snacks for them  I carry biscuits, dry fruits such as almonds, pistachios, walnuts, and fresh fruits. 

Rotorua 

We arrived at noon the journey was just pleasant, I was worried about my son being comfortable through the journey. I thanked God, my son enjoyed looking out and played with his favorite toys that I carried on our trip. So there was no restlessness and discomfort through the journey. It's always advisable to carry warm clothes or thermal wear since we are unsure of the climate, It may be cold for us than the locals. We booked a villa with a pool for the weekend, it cost us NZD 100. 

Rotorua 

The villa was cozy, it had an electric blankets on the bed. As we settled at the villa, soon we set out and headed for the Redwoods tree walk.

It is surrounded by plenty of huge trees everywhere and as we walk along we see this beautiful forest. As a nature lover, it was a treat to my eye. The view here at night is breathtaking with lamps lit up and the sprinkle lights. The day ended with these lovely lamps and soon it was time for some food.  

Our dinner was at an Indian restaurant, it made our day, from paratha to chicken tandoori and dal makhani .The food was mouthwatering I relished every bite . I think  I never ate in Mumbai as much as I ate here in Rotorua (haha). The next day we went for the luge ride, it like go-carting but here it is on the slope. Honestly, I did not try but my hubby tried it for the first time. It was quite an adventure ride for him. 

Gondola 

    We headed to skyline Gondola, it is like a cable car quite a height. My two-year-old son was trilled on the other hand I sat as though I'm glued unmovable (hehe).  It was a fantastic stay and unforgettable memories. The cost for these ride i.e Gondola and Luge is $52 for an adult and $34 for a child. 

Government Gardens.

Another attraction is the government gardens . The land was a gift from the Maori , the garden has many plants. It has a museum too that has visit time 10am to 6p.m. We unfortunately reached  late so we just got a glimpse of it form the outside.  It was a great place to relax and just enjoy the view.  

These were the places we visited in Rotorua, we missed some places however I plan to visit it during my next trip to Auckland.