By the numbers
1 bus
8.14kms
10,495 steps
The day was meant to be really nice and sunny, so when I got up and looked out the window, I thought it was going to rain again as it was overcast and I wasn’t sure if it was going to be cold or not. I took the risk by going to get breakfast as I wanted to get something to eat before checking out. On the way back I went to the library to check to see if it was alright if I stayed in there for a couple of hours. The library also doubled as the council offices. The lady I spoke to had no problem with me doing so. Once I handed my key back the manager mentioned I flew under the radar as they never seen me. I said yup I got food in town and the guy was happy I had spent money in the town.
Once in the library I soon learnt they were also the council offices as customers were coming in to pay rates and make inquiries about council services. I was happy to sit in the bright light of the library and do some reading and organise some stuff like records for when I am in Auckland at the Archives. I had around 3 hours before the bus came and I was actually thinking it would be late again, but I knew if I didn’t get there on time then I would actually miss it. After several hours in the library doing my thing, I moved on to get a coffee before waiting for the bus. With around 40 mins and a good view of the mountain as the clouds started clearing I soon found the bus was bang on time.
The driver looked at me when I mentioned I was going to Hamilton and told me ‘Lucky you’. Yeah Hamilton has a reputation it seems as a dodgy place and it comes across like it. The bus would be taking me up over National Park, Taumarunui for lunch, through Te Kuiti and then up through Otorohunga and then Hamilton so I got to see a range of towns along the way and they all seemed to have changed since I was last here. I think Hamilton has changed a little as there are shops that are no longer here and rebuilding going on. One lady told me the bus left her behind after she got off to use the loo and when she came back it was gone. The driver did make that threat, once the door has been closed that he will not open it again if you are chasing the bus down once its reversing out. Somehow I think that is a fair warning, and a good reason why I am having a night in Hamilton as the info centre was closed and there was only two public loos with a line up.
I found my way around Hamilton alright as I was going to spend a night in a hotel before I end up in Auckland tomorrow. I am making sure I can sleep in and get to visit a book store along the way after checking out. I ended up with a burger from the shop next to the hotel as I couldn’t find anything I wanted nearby. As it was around 6pm everything was basically closed for the night. Not that it worried me too much.
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