A Peaceful Walk by the Lake | Saying Goodbye to Rotorua

A PEACEFUL WALK

Have you ever been to a place and suddenly had a thought that you will never return to that place again? Not because you had a terrible experience (but that's a possibility too), but because you know that going to that place is a once in a lifetime experience. My visit to Rotorua, New Zealand, was exactly that. I don't know where my luck came from that I got to go to that place. It just so happened that I found a conference in Rotorua, the very exact place where one of my closest friends had moved to. But after months of preparation and obstacles along the way, I was finally in New Zealand.

I'll share in this blog my last day in Rotorua, New Zealand before I went to Auckland and eventually went home to the Philippines. I listed down at the end of this post the links to my previous blogs about this visit. I stayed in Rotorua for a couple of days for a research conference, and I made sure to take the time to go out of the conference venue and explore the beautiful lake town of Rotorua.

During my last day, I decided to head to the boardwalk and see the lake for the last time. I walked the lonely streets surrounded by green rolling hills. I was there on summer, so the sky was clear and the sun was shining bright. I walked alone savoring the peace and the warmth. The mornings were cold, and I looked forward to the warmth of the mid day. But it was still chilly and I was glad I was wearing a long-sleeves shirt. I followed the road downhill and I could almost see the lake down the horizon. I passed by some blocky architecture, and also a catholic church.

After a few minutes of walking, I arrived at the lake. The lake was so big that it felt like I was in a coastal town. But there was nobody around. I wondered where the people are.

BLACK SWANS

I followed the edge of the lake and I found myself in the boardwalk with a small open park that featured some (what I think were) Maori sculptures. Again, the place felt deserted. There were a few people here and there, but I guessed the people were in their workplaces. I walked long the boardwalk and admired the sight of the lake. New Zealand is very connected and concerned about nature. They really take care for their bodies of water, their forests, and their wildlife.

On the lake were some black swans, peacefully floating and wading despite the sulfur laden waters. The lake is actually a caldera, a type of volcano, so it's full of geothermal activity. I was quite surprised to see so many living things thriving in such a harsh and toxic environment. The swans still had food they could hunt in the lake. All living things will do everything to survive, even in the most difficult situations. It's hardwired in our DNA.

Since it was summer, the days were longer in New Zealand, but I could still feel the softening of the sun as the afternoon came. The conference scheduled a dinner event in the evening, and told us we needed to head back to the venue at night. So I said my goodbyes to the swans and continued walking towards the conference venue.

SKYLINE, ROTORUA

We were picked up the bus that would bring us to the venue of our dinner event. It was the Skyline Rotorua, the place I went to during my first day in Rotorua. And now I'm back. Not to enjoy all the activities, but just to chill out and network. We had to take a cable car to get to the top of the mountain. The view was nice, and I could see how wide the lake really is. I could see the small town below, and the mountains on the other side.

By this time, I had met a few friends. There was one other Filipino who joined the conference, a lecturer from Aukland. She was with her Czech collaborator whom she also met during a previous conference. We went inside to grab some drinks and also to get away from the chilly air outside. An announcement was made that a short program and a show was about to begin. The organizers gave a few words, and then performers entertained us with their traditional song and dance.

LAST DINNER

Then, it was time for dinner. For the past few days, I've only been having food served at the conference, I was craving for some familiar food. I was sure that the buffet would have some. They had a lot of choices, and I made sure to get some sashimi and steak. After a few rounds of food and drinks, I ended my dinner with some ice cream.

By this time, it was very cold outside, so I stayed inside and talked to a few people and networked. We each were given stubs for drinks, and for some reason, a lot of people were giving theirs to me. An announcement was made that the first bus back to the city was about to leave. I was a bit tired, so I decided to take the first bus. I gave all the drinks stubs I had collected to a German acquaintance who was staying for the late night dancing.

Until next time Rotorua, or maybe never. I'm thankful for the once in a lifetime experience.

Check out my previous posts about Rotorua:

Glebert

_{He’s a dreamer and a thinker. He tends to sensationalize a lot of things. He got that from his mother. He's also a bit melodramatic. It must be from his father. Bear with him as he shares his thoughts and experiences about his travels, dreams, and the variety of things he's trying to learn and improve (personal development, writing, cryptocurrency, fitness, etc.). If you like this article, please give it an upvote, and if for some reason you're interested in more future content, please don't hesitate to follow.}