I Love the Way They Talk Here!

Because we did today’s ride yesterday, which is really today if you’re in Maine, we had a day off in Rotorua. Chris began the day for us with a leisurely ride up to Whakatane, on the eastern shore of the north island. We rode twisties around several lakes, continuing to dodge debris from Cyclone Wilma. But people were swimming! Boating! Sunbathing! I so don’t miss winter.

The most fun part of Whakatane is how it’s pronounced. “Wh” is normally said with an “F” sound in Maori words. So figure it out. It’s almost as much fun to say as, “underpants.” Another new expression today is, “wall to wall bugger all,” meaning “a whole lot of nothing,” and generally referring to Australia. And if you have an Aunt Frances, don’t ever give her the traditional Maine nickname, because that is a BAD WORD in New Zealand, never to be said in public.

After parking the bikes, we went a short way out of town, where bubbling hot springs and geysers coexist with an interactive Maori cultural museum. We hated to leave. The language lesson continued. “Geyser” here is pronounced, “geezer.” So whenever they talked about the boiling geysers, all I could think of was Nick Saum being tossed into a lobster pot.

In the evening, the Maoris entertained us with a Hangi, their traditional meal cooked underground. They also shared with us a moving and dramatic demonstration of war dances, peace rituals, songs, and games, finishing with a walk through the woods in the dark to look at the glow worms in the trees and on the ground. Seriously cool.