{"id":11826,"date":"2024-05-08T19:58:00","date_gmt":"2024-05-08T07:58:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/myblogary.com\/?p=11826"},"modified":"2024-05-13T22:40:51","modified_gmt":"2024-05-13T10:40:51","slug":"getting-down-dirty","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/myblogary.com\/index.php\/2024\/05\/08\/getting-down-dirty\/","title":{"rendered":"Getting Down & Dirty"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

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May 8<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The weather definitely feels like fall. Crisp air, fallen leaves and bright blue skies. I\u2019m so lucky to experience my favorite season twice in one year!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We went back to the Redwoods Treewalk<\/a> to get a daytime view of the forest. Our birds-eye perspective of the forest floor and treetops above was peaceful and serene.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Route of the Tree Walk<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

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California redwoods are the tallest living trees on earth, reaching over 370 feet! By contrast, the trees in the Whakarewarewa Forest<\/a> are 72 feet high. Fast grown NZ redwood is a soft timber whereas the slower grown CA redwood is a hardwood timber. NZ\u2019s more frequent annual rainfall contributes to the faster growing trees.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In addition to the redwoods, there are over 70 different species of trees in the forest.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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After our treetop walk, we decided to see the massive redwoods from the ground, so we went for the two mile Waitawa walk through the forest.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Eastwood Cafe was a quick coffee stop before we headed to our next, and more relaxing, activity at Hell\u2019s Gate<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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A mud and sulphur spa, Hell\u2019s Gate was virtually empty on a Wednesday afternoon. Warned beforehand about the sulphur potentially ruining our bathing suits, we opted to rent them for $5 each. We also left our jewelry at home, as sulphur can tarnish silver.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When we arrived there was a rack of bathing suits to choose from. Most weren\u2019t the right size for me. I chose two and after trying them both on, opted for the comical \u201cBride Squad\u201d black one piece suit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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We entered the mud pool first, luckily private due to the lack of people at the spa. For health and safety reasons, we were only allowed to soak for 20 minutes. We rolled around like pigs in 100 pounds of diluted mud, frolicking and smearing it all over our bodies. The muddy water was the perfect temperature, somewhere between 98 and 104 degrees. Rich in mineral and nutrients, M\u0101ori have used mud pools for generations to ease joint and muscle pain and rejuvenate the skin.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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After our allotted time, we showered and tried to wash all the mud off, then headed for the sulfur pools. Filled with naturally heated mineral water, sulphur is known for its therapeutic properties. We enjoyed the two different temperature pools overlooking a geothermal landscape.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Relaxed and rejuvenated, shriveled and famished, we got out of the pools. We showered, trying hard to scrub the sulfur smell from our skin.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We decided to squeeze one more adventure into the day and headed to a lookout between Green Lake and Blue Lake. From the lookout, people say you can see two very different colors of water. At first we walked down to the Blue Lake shoreline before quickly realizing that wasn\u2019t the lookout. So back up we climbed to the parking lot and spotted the sign for the lookout. However, when we got there and took a gander, we didn\u2019t see much difference in color between the two lakes. Perhaps we needed to do it at a different time of day to get the full effect.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Defeated, since we hadn\u2019t eaten lunch, we went for an early dinner at The Fainting Goat<\/a>. We stuffed ourselves with pita and three kinds of hummus, grilled fish tostadas with mango salsa and salt and pepper squid.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Back at the house, we showered again, but alas, we still smelled like sulfur and our eyes burned. Apparently, that\u2019s a common problem we learned that can happen to you from being in a sulfur pool. Who knew about that side effect?<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

May 8 The weather definitely feels like fall. Crisp air, fallen leaves and bright blue skies. I\u2019m so lucky to experience my favorite season twice in one year! We went back to the Redwoods Treewalk to get a daytime view of the forest. Our birds-eye perspective of the forest floor and treetops above was peaceful … <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":11932,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[1,7],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-11826","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-blog","category-new-zealand-north-island"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/myblogary.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/img_7868-1.jpg?fit=1500%2C2000&ssl=1","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":11023,"url":"https:\/\/myblogary.com\/index.php\/2024\/04\/26\/te-matua-ngahere-father-of-the-forest\/","url_meta":{"origin":11826,"position":0},"title":"Te Matua Ngahere \u2014 \u201cFather of the Forest\u201d (RV Day 13)","author":"Victoria","date":"26 April 2024","format":false,"excerpt":"April 26 Morning view over Hokianga Harbor This morning we drove to Opononi and Omapere, two towns on the west coast along Hotianga Harbor. Dedicated to Opo, a legendary friendly harbor dolphin Town mural We took the short walk to Arai te Uru, the south headland of Hokianga Harbor, where\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Blog"","block_context":{"text":"Blog","link":"https:\/\/myblogary.com\/index.php\/category\/blog\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/myblogary.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/img_5043-1.jpg?fit=900%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/myblogary.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/img_5043-1.jpg?fit=900%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/myblogary.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/img_5043-1.jpg?fit=900%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/myblogary.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/img_5043-1.jpg?fit=900%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":11994,"url":"https:\/\/myblogary.com\/index.php\/2024\/05\/09\/happiness-is-riding-your-mountain-bike-without-breaking-any-bones\/","url_meta":{"origin":11826,"position":1},"title":"\u201cHappiness is riding your mountain bike without breaking any bones.”","author":"Victoria","date":"9 May 2024","format":false,"excerpt":"May 9 How many showers does it take to stop smelling like a rotten egg? I\u2019m on my third and the smell from the thermal bath yesterday is just beginning to fade. It\u2019s the gift that keeps on giving. Despite the beautiful sunny day, today was really windy. We wanted\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Blog"","block_context":{"text":"Blog","link":"https:\/\/myblogary.com\/index.php\/category\/blog\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/myblogary.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/img_8026-3-1.jpg?fit=900%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/myblogary.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/img_8026-3-1.jpg?fit=900%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/myblogary.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/img_8026-3-1.jpg?fit=900%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/myblogary.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/img_8026-3-1.jpg?fit=900%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":11109,"url":"https:\/\/myblogary.com\/index.php\/2024\/04\/27\/one-more-night-rv-day-14\/","url_meta":{"origin":11826,"position":2},"title":"One More Night (RV Day 14)","author":"Victoria","date":"27 April 2024","format":false,"excerpt":"April 27 Mitch started singing this song in the luxurious RV shower last night and we can\u2019t get it out of our heads as we get ready to celebrate returning our massive motorhome to Wilderness Motorhomes. Their slogan is \u201cLeave the Ordinary Behind.\u201d I guess we just prefer the ordinary.\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Blog"","block_context":{"text":"Blog","link":"https:\/\/myblogary.com\/index.php\/category\/blog\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/myblogary.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/img_5103-1.jpg?fit=900%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/myblogary.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/img_5103-1.jpg?fit=900%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/myblogary.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/img_5103-1.jpg?fit=900%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/myblogary.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/img_5103-1.jpg?fit=900%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":10111,"url":"https:\/\/myblogary.com\/index.php\/2024\/04\/17\/tu-tika\/","url_meta":{"origin":11826,"position":3},"title":"Tu Tika (RV Day 4)","author":"Victoria","date":"17 April 2024","format":false,"excerpt":"April 17 Happy Birthday! Zack in Munich earlier in his trip. Happy Birthday Zachary! We hope you are having a great celebration in Amsterdam! We woke up early to get everything locked down and topped up in the RV before our 9 a.m. tour. This included putting everything away that\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Blog"","block_context":{"text":"Blog","link":"https:\/\/myblogary.com\/index.php\/category\/blog\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/myblogary.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/img_0459-1.jpg?fit=1200%2C900&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/myblogary.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/img_0459-1.jpg?fit=1200%2C900&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/myblogary.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/img_0459-1.jpg?fit=1200%2C900&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/myblogary.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/img_0459-1.jpg?fit=1200%2C900&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/myblogary.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/img_0459-1.jpg?fit=1200%2C900&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":4255,"url":"https:\/\/myblogary.com\/index.php\/2024\/02\/29\/the-early-bird-catches-the-worm\/","url_meta":{"origin":11826,"position":4},"title":"The Early Bird Catches The Worm","author":"Victoria","date":"29 February 2024","format":false,"excerpt":"February 29 Birdwatching at Orokonui Ecosanctuary Happy Leap Day! To celebrate the occasion, we enjoyed another bird encounter and got up close with a lot of native NZ birds we haven\u2019t seen yet. According to the Department of Conservation, a.k.a. \u201cDOC,\u201d NZ is known as the seabird capital of the\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Blog"","block_context":{"text":"Blog","link":"https:\/\/myblogary.com\/index.php\/category\/blog\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/myblogary.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/img_1869-2-1.jpg?fit=900%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/myblogary.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/img_1869-2-1.jpg?fit=900%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/myblogary.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/img_1869-2-1.jpg?fit=900%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/myblogary.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/img_1869-2-1.jpg?fit=900%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":8164,"url":"https:\/\/myblogary.com\/index.php\/2024\/03\/29\/the-best-therapy-has-two-wheels-and-a-set-of-trails\/","url_meta":{"origin":11826,"position":5},"title":"The Best Therapy Has Two Wheels And A Set Of Trails","author":"Victoria","date":"29 March 2024","format":false,"excerpt":"March 29 Ah sunshine. A perfect day for our bike ride on the West Coast Wilderness Trail. The trail is 89 miles long, from Ross to Greymouth, and goes through rimu forests, wetlands, over former railway bridges and along the Tasman Sea. We only biked a portion of the trail\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Blog"","block_context":{"text":"Blog","link":"https:\/\/myblogary.com\/index.php\/category\/blog\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/myblogary.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/img_7520-1.jpg?fit=900%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/myblogary.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/img_7520-1.jpg?fit=900%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/myblogary.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/img_7520-1.jpg?fit=900%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/myblogary.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/img_7520-1.jpg?fit=900%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/myblogary.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11826","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/myblogary.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/myblogary.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/myblogary.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/myblogary.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=11826"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/myblogary.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11826\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":12077,"href":"https:\/\/myblogary.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11826\/revisions\/12077"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/myblogary.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/11932"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/myblogary.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=11826"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/myblogary.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=11826"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/myblogary.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=11826"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}