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Published: June 17th 2006
Day 18: Rotorua
Pamper day! The morning was very cold and frosty, heralding a gorgeous day. We went to ‘Hell’s Gate’, about 10 kms out of town, and a place George Bernard Shaw apparently named, along with other appropriate features such as Devil’s Throat, Inferno and Mud Volcano. The mud pools were much bigger here than others we’d seen, and the steaming cliffs, hot stream and hot lake were new thermal features. The sulphur clouds and fumes were very attractive, if at times whiffy. Again this attraction is managed and staffed by the local Maori.
After a walk around the 2.5 km track - taking care not to wander off! - We enjoyed a wonderfully warm mud bath - great gooey, silky stuff - followed by a cold shower (really cold) and then two mineral baths at warm and very warm temperatures.
Whilst Andrew enjoyed more bath, I enjoyed a facial - something I had been looking forward to. It was a real experience, with many lotions and copious quantities of mud used, along with a gorgeous massage of face and shoulders. A truly relaxing experience.
Helen
Day 19: Waitomo-Auckland
Off at 7.15am, we
were at Waitomo by 9.30 for the cave tour. We had read in Lonely Planet that the tour buses arrive at about 10.00, so we wanted to avoid those. We were actually the only tourists along with a couple from Tucson on our particular tour.
Our guide was very knowledgeable and showed us the magnificent features including the ‘Cathedral’ a huge cavern underground, with apparently perfect acoustics. The huge highlight was the glow-worms, which were all over the ceiling of a cavern along the underground river. The guides pull the boat along cables so it’s very quiet and the display of lights from the glow worms was all glittery and much more effective than any Christmas tree. The worms are on different heights, so the effect is 3-dimensional. Apparently this is the third-biggest NZ attraction with on a quiet day some 300 people and in peak season 1000 people.
Another two hours from Waitomo found us in Auckland - the last 85 kms by motorway, making for a really quick trip into our posh ‘Heritage’ hotel. We managed to navigate faultlessly, only because the turnoff was the street on which our hotel is located. We managed to select this
hotel purely by good luck from dear old Wotif. I dragged Andrew off for another shopping trip, still no success. Out to an Indian restaurant for dinner - just down the road, again great quality.
Helen
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