TRAVEL BREAKS: THE NEW THERAPY! ROTORUA THROUGH THE EYES OF A CHILD WHEN I STARTED TO FELL ILL SIX SEVERAL MONTHS AGO, I DID WHAT MOST men do, spent a period, where I thought I had a virus and I simply ignored the symtons. Until I was in so much pain and could hardly move then, I went off to my Doctor. After three consultations and several blood tests, I was diagnosed with Polymyalgia Rheumatica (meaning “pain in many muscles” in Greek), Finally I knew why I was in pain. The specialist report said Martin is in a hypermanic state with pressurised speech (who me?) caused by him being prescribed prednisone, five times stronger than he needed! The only thing I didn’t like about the specialist’s report was him describing me at 96 Kgs as overweight... I picked up the phone to tell him, “you’re not exactly Twiggy yourself.” Thankfully, Jay stopped me making that phone call. My partner and I knew we needed to take a break away from Ponsonby and as Jay has just been diagnosed with a hernia himself after lugging five tones of boxes of PN to our delivery team each month….we both knew we decided to get away to unwind and recharge our batteries. We went to Rotorua and spent four fabulous nights as guests of Bryan Hughes, Chief Executive of Wai Ora Lakeside Spa Resort. What a charismatic man he turned out to be and what a great place to convalesce. We were given a beautiful suite – with Jacuzzi bath for two – and enjoyed views looking over the lake towards Mokoia Island - this resort is truly magical and restful. We had spa treatments every day using products from Bryan’s own Alite range. The therapists, Yuki, a gorgeous Japanese girl and Lita Mahy, a Samoan beauty were like angels to us. Bryan Hughes, couldn’t have been more generous. He bought us four nights dinner in his award-winning Mokoia Restaurant, where they had no less than eight (including soup) vegetarian/vegan options. We felt truly blessed and spoiled! On our second day, Bryan made arrangements for us to take a tour of Hells Gate and to have a soak in a mudbath for an hour. We are so glad we went on the Monday because we bumped in to Carol McGillivray, an old friend from around the corner with us back in London! It was so therapeutic to neet an old friend, as she was leaving for a conference the next day, we had a superb dinner at Wai Ora’s Mokoia Restaurant. We also took her to Rainbow Springs to see the Kiwi and Jenny, the hand-reared Kea. Anyone who has read the ‘Celestine Prophecy’ will know there are no coincidences in life - everything happens for a reason! We ‘d planned to go to Hells Gate on Monday, but didn’t! Thank
goodness because we went the next day and bumped into Carol, our friend from Colville Terrace! However, that chance encounter with Carol and seeing her did make us all homesick for Notting Hill Gate and Portobello, W11. On our third day, Bryan Hughes arranged for us to go to the Mokoia Island Bird Sanctuary with his guide Rawira. We had a magical afternoon walking through the bush and raking up leaves so birds swooped down to catch insects and worms disturbed by our presence. When I saw the sign beside Hinemoa’s pool, ‘No Swimming’, I almost cried, however, Rawira said, “look mate, if you can stand temperature’s of 50 degrees … jump in!” I gingerly put a foot in and before too long sat down in the pool. Rawira told me that since the Christchurch earthquake the temperature in the pool had risen by 10 degrees! While I was soaking, my partner Jay sat at the bush line watching birds coming and going. “I bet I can get this weka to come and play,” said Jay! “I’ve always had a way with the birds,” he joked. Back in London, maybe I teased him ... he was always being chatted up in the pub by what he termed dolly birds! This is serious conservation stuff, I told him, this bird is almost extinct! Suddenly and rather unexpectedly, a weka appeared and came within a metre or so of Jay. Thankfully, he captured the moment on his iPhone! Ohhh... said Jay, on the way back to Wai Ora, he saw a sign for a 3D MAZE. “Doesn’t Richard O’Brien now live in NZ?” he asked, let’s check it out. This certainly wasn’t THE CRYSTAL MAZE but is Rotorua’s 3D Maze, the longest, most complex maze about 1.7km of paths, and nearly 60000 metres of timber combine to challenge young and old. We did the four corners in 25 minutes and were the only visitors at the time! Tell Warwick Franklin, the owner, who before starting this business 22 years was with Auckland Gas working in Beaumont Street. “That is why I know Auckland pretty well and have an affection for the Ponsonby / Herne Bay area Martin,” he told me…Tell Warwick, Ponsonby News - the boys in the charcoal Mini Cooper from the Mini Garage in Ponsonby suggested you visit. He will be AMAZED! A BIG THANKS TO THE MINI GARAGE PONSONBY! The nice guys loaned us a great charcoal coloured soft-top MINI COOPER ($48,000) for our long weekend in Rotorua! (When we left Lita, the spa therapist rushed out to give us a farewell blessing for a safe return journey to the city). Having owned two Minis during the sixties and seventys, it was very hard to part with this great little car! CONTACTS: www.waioraresort.co.nz www.hellsgate.co.nz www.mokoiaisland.co.nz
www.wainbowsprings.co.nz www.3dmaze.co.nz www.mini.co.nz
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7 The World Belongs to the Dissatisfied
9 DEADLINE – 20TH OF THE MONTH May 2012 PONSONBY NEWS+
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