The highlight of my holidays would probably have to be my running trip to Taupo. This is the annual North island cross country champs held in Spa Park, Taupo.
I took the Friday off school to drive up there with my family. My running club always stays at the Wairakei resort. It's really cool there and it has lots of hot pools and spas. When we arrived it was pouring with rain but we still went for a jog around the race course. In the night everyone was awoken by three big violent shakes but when we looked up the earthquakes online we found out that they weren't that big its just that we were in the centre of them.
It was slightly drizzly the next morning but the course at spa park was still in great condition. I waited for what seemed like forever for my race to start and finally, BANG went the gun and we were off. I was racing in the under 15 race which was really annoying because most of the other girls were at college and were like double my height. I just focused on beating more and more people. There were a couple of jumps that I had to hurdle and lots of steep hills but at last I sprinted into the finish. I was exhausted. Now that the I had finished the race I received a free muffin and hot chocolate which was perfect in the cold weather and then we returned to the resort for pizza and a dip in the hot pools. Later on we went to the bar and then had a fancy club buffet dinner which was delicious!
Early Sunday morning the weather had cleared up and it was sunny enough to enjoy a nice run down to huka falls and back. The view was amazing and we had to stop running to admire the beautiful sight of the gushing water (and to catch our breath). After we ran back everyone hopped into the natural hot pools and had a turn standing under the mini waterfall. It was so much fun! Later on we visited some other hot pools at Wairakei terraces, headed out into town for dinner and returned for a late night swim in the hot pools.
Monday was our final day and my family started off the day by going on a run through the nearby bush. It was amazing because there was a natural hot river running through the bush. It looked all white, milky, weird and it stunk of eggs. We popped out back at the resort, packed our bags, my sister and I raided the place of free stuff and we began the long travel home.
It was such a fun experience and I can't wait for it to happen all over again next year.
