Wade gets abandoned at a BP station

Today we headed to Rotorua, one of my more optimistic stops with Zorbing, etc. But, as the story unfolds, was somewhat of a catastrophic failure. The day started off well. We stopped at this town called Matamata. It's the place where all of Hobbiton was filmed in the Lord of the Rings, and they kinda exploit that as a tourist attraction. They have a statue of Gollum on the main drag of this town, for example. Apparently when Peter Jackson was looking for a place to film it, he was flying over in a helicopter with little hope left then finally saw the place. They landed on this man's farm and knocked on his door. He told them to go away because Rugby was on. So they flew into town, grabbed a case of beer and flew back and asked the man if they could join him. Post game gave him the proposal and changed his reluctance with a nice figure on a piece of paper.
We headed on to Rotorua where we stopped at a cultural center. Here we gota cool little presentation, some native food and a quiz at the end of it all where they were giving out little Maori necklaces (kinda touristy but nice, not plastic). I actually got the last one right, so I now have cool spirally bone necklace. (don't judge, and try not to be jealous) We signed up for the cultural dinner for that night were they take you out give you food cooked on hot rocks in the earth and teach you the Haka, sweet! We dropped most of the people off at the Base hostel there (alex, kim and I decided to stay somewhere else) and I went directly from that bus to the bus taking us SLEDGING! (alex and kim took care of my backpack for me)
Sledging was cool. What is is basically going down white water with a glorified boogey board and short fins to propell yourself. Tiring, but fun. Had to do rolls, swim upstream to get where you wanted to go, and other cool maneuvers. The river was pretty cool with nice forrested cliff on each side. The cooler part was "surfing" where basically you paddled into the plunging part of a rapid where the recirculation was as well and basically kick and stay in that spot right on the falls. Very cool. Short trip though. So we headed back got out of those &^#*$ wet suits, played a little volleyball while waiting and headed back to the hostels. The story begins here....

Me and two other girls are signed up for the culutral dinner that night as well. The bus leaves at 7 from where we are supposed to catch it, it's already close to 7. The bus driver of the sledging takes us three to a BP station where the dinner bus is supposed to pick us up on it's way out. Now let me do some intros. The two other girls are from California, more specifically Orange county. They are the DEFINITION of OC. Completely brainless. They shall be collectively known as Californication for the rest of my travels (1 and 2 for distinction of individuals). For an example of the stupidity when I introduced myself to them and they asked which state I was from and I said the Carolinas, Californication 1 responded with (paraphrased) "oh cool, i don't really know where those are but yeah" ......................................WHAT?! SERIOUSLY?! maybe Miss Teen SC shoulda been from the OC. So here I am at this BP with these two bimbos (who, as seen from the music in the van, dance like a chickens on LSD after being severely electrocuted). 20 mins pass and I'm starting to think that with 10 min until the dinner starts, we are shit outta luck. I go and ask the BP workers if I can use their phone to call Kiwi since 1) my phone has no credit and no way of recharging it remotely in NZ and 2) Kiwi is the only number I have. Kala, as I've gotten to know her, answers and I explain our situation. She is pretty helpful and makes a few phone calls around and figures out that the bus waited as long as it could at the BP before leaving. So she tries to sort it out saying she's gonna call a cab for us. 10 min later she calls back and reaffirms some of this and says that she's gonna call the cab THEN when we though she had already called. She also informs us that we are going to have to pay for it and get reimbursed ...fine. I inform Californication and #1 is fairly composed about it. #2 goes TOTAL drama queen. We get a cab and this cool Maori woman is talking to us. We get into our current situation and cabbie actually knows a lot about the dinner thing and said that they used to just pay for cabs out there for people, apparently not anymore. Californication 2 decides to unpolitely take out her rage on the cabbie with the valley girl descirption/attutude on what happened..."like we've been sitting outside in the cold and rain for like an hour, and like they could have done something, like god, like we've been sitting outside cold and wet, and like it's cold...like and cold hour like like like...." Rargh!!! Wade KILL stupid girl!!! I maintain composure and try to dampen the conversation. We drop them off at the base and she takes me to my hostel. All the way we make fun of Californication 2 and identify her crazy attitude problem.
I arrive, home sweet home....wait, no...reception is closed and I haven't checked in. I knock on a random window and a girl comes to the door. I ask if reception is closed or if anyone who works there is around...bad news. So I'm homeless, still in a bathing suit smelling like wet suit and river, with only my day pack and no means of communication. So I make out for the Base hostel. I know generally where it is. I figured I can call Kiwi from there and get them to call Rich. What should have been a short 4 block walk was a 30 min wondering in the cold. I stop once for directions...not in english and incorrect...i stop again 10 min later at a hotel. Sweet, i know where I'm going. I head that way stopping at a random Japanese place that has something about terriaki chicken to go on a board outside. starving...i go "ug...that...now". Don't eat it as a place to stay is slightly more important. When I arrive...reception is closed, so I have to go to the bar next door to ask about hostel question. I get stopped by the security guy basically looking at me like I'm crazy trying to get into a bar with a swimsuit, sandals and a backpack. I tell him I need help. I get the phone from the bar. Kiwi is now closed! Joy! Bartender knows that the dinner bus gets back at 10:30, that's only oo....1 hr from now. Fine, I camp outside waiting shovel my food in and grab a beer to chill. I found a lot of others I knew from the bus and told them my wonderful story, even though I smell like shit right now. Time goes on, bus eventually comes back. I pounce on Rich and get him to call Kim. I coordinate with Kim to watch for me to get there and I finally return home. Get there take a REALLY hot LOOONG shower. Toasty and full I feel much better. We then find that this hostel doesn't provide sheets or a duvet. Sweet, top of the night with some cold sleeping. I was actually fine till about 6am where i just tossed my towel on top of me.

My luck runneth thin....

As an addendum, I did eventually get a refund for the dinner and the cab ride...well I'm still waiting on it, and it currently looks like the dinner is charging me twice..but we'll see.