I'm feeling tired and low, and want to cry so I wander 'lonely as a cloud' (god bless Wordsworth) to the lakeside and begin to follow the walk recommended in my guidebook. The lake is full of black swans with not a white one in sight.
I notice the island in the middle of the lake and am reminded of the true Romeo-Juliet story of Hinemoa and Tutanekai, which I hear several times while I'm in. The pair were from different Maori tribes but met one night and fell in love. Their parents were against them marrying so Tutanekai used to play his flute from across the island in the lake for Hinemoa to hear. One night she tied empty gourds around her waist as flotation devices and swam for several hours to reach the island and her lover. Their parents were so amazed they welcomed the union. Their descendants are living in Rotorua today.
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