Rotorua Holiday

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It's been a while since I've had anything of significance to mention here. It was a holiday (Labour Day) weekend so I took Friday off from work and made a long four day weekend in Rotorua. Rachel and I headed out early Friday for the scenic drive (long way around) to Rotorua by way of Mt Maunganui and Tauranga. Friday we did a short tour of the small and relitively uniteresting downtown of Rotorua and met up with friends of Rachel's that were passing thru to Taupo.

Saturday was a proper tourist day. Visited one of the better geothermal parks and took the longest walking route available. Asked a tour guide a legitimate question and got a stupid answere. Then off to a sheep farm show that was more comical than informative and then last to a thrilling ride down a steep hill on a plastic sled, hoping that an old bicycle helmet would keep me safe, highly unlikely.

Sunday was a relaxing day at a spa, the highlight being a soak in a mud bath, playing in mud what a childish dream.

Monday came to quickly and the tour of Rotorua was wrapped up with a walk in the Redwood forest.

The drive back to the city was delayed by an hour long 10mph crawl thru country roads backed up by holiday makers heading back to Auckland.

Best for all and cheers....
two pages of photos

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Photos

Every good road trip contains an oversized monument of meaningless importance
L&P soda, "World Famous From Ages Ago". NZ well known soda pop. This was taken in the town that the mixture was originally made.

Tourist photo trap number 2, kiwi fruit
You can't possibly miss this from the roadway. The large kiwi fruit plantation put this monument to NZ beloved little fuzzy fruit. The gift shop here is filled with NZ memorabilia, the majority of which is dedicated to that delectable fruit.

Devil's Home
Saturday we visited Wai-O-Tapu, billed as Rotorua's best geothermal site, offering beatutiful, mineral-coloured lakes, plopping mud pools and "geysers that erupt on cue each morning".

Wai-O-Tapu tour continued
The smell of sulfer was at times unbearable.

1 1/2 hour trek thru Wai-Tapu
The trail system in the park was nothing like Yellowstone. In places the trail was the actual geothermal beds

Waterfall
The end of the Park. The hot water feeds into a large lake by way of a waterfall

Agradome
Sheep Farming for Tourists. This large auditorium for perhaps 300 people was nearly full with Asian Tourists who very likely have not seen an opperating sheep farm. They went crazy when the Merino sheep with its prized wool tooks it place on the platform.

The sacrificial sheep
Sheep shearing time. The tourists when asked which sheep should be sheared all said the Marino, but instead saw a small, fairly well behaved sheep loose its winter coat.

The Michelangelo of Sheep Shearing
Like Michelangelo carving the slaves out of stone the sheeps shape emerged from its mass of wool.

An exciting demonstration on how to milk a cow
I suppose this might be fascinating if the most you knew about milk was that it came from a grocery store.

Demonstrating (dog supported) sheep herding with ducks
I was disappointed to find that the dog didn't go crazy on the ducks and bring a quick end to the show.

The second type of sheep herding
This type of dog drives the sheep with its deep bark and by hopping on the backs of the sheep. The dog stayed seated on the sheep for 10 minutes.

Comments

[Olga Hazen]

Thank you for letting us in on what is happening over there,
Sounds like you are really enjoying your self.We just went on a white tail hunting trip.We stayed in motel.We got our does.We are home and taking care of meat. Love Grandma and Grandpa Hazen

[Bill Bryant]

Great Pictures But ...
Great pictures but send more of Rachel and less of sheep.

[Jeanette]

Remember Yellowstone?
When you were in gradeschool we took you kids to Yellowstone...remember the smell, the bubbling paint pots, hot pools and the gaisers? Your pics look oh, so familiar. Hope we get to see this when we visit you in the winter!

[Call 2 Adventure]

Wrong Season
You'll be visiting me in the Summer!

[Uncle Cliff]

Summer Down Under the Southern Cross
been there, done that but not the sheep. just in time for sheep shearing I hope. all tourists have to lend a helping hand