Rotorua, the second visit

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The first time we went to Rotorua it was my birthday, Jan 26th. We only saw the museum as there was so much to look at.

The next time we were in Rotorua we stayed for three days as soon as we finished our week in Napier. We saw many of the features I had been hearing about for a long time. There is no escaping the touristy look and feel of the place, and we couldn't miss seeing some of the fantastic landforms and the geothermal areas.

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Photos

The Maori crafted a unique method
of weaving feathers into woven flax that keeps them in securely.

Carving student works on a project
with all of us tourists on the walkway watching.

Check out the location of that hotel
right beside the hot pools. No chance of refreshing cool breeze at night.

Sulphur Crystals
are deposited after condensing from the geothermal steam.

On the Te Puia grounds
these fissures and steaming cracks are spread throughout the area, many hectares across.

Silica terraces
The silica in the boiling waters builds up and makes layered shelves around the hot pools.

singing songs in Maori
in the Marae. There are hand movements that go with the words.

Cranking up the heat
in the Poi Dance. Taking out the pois.

Poi Dance
Only by using Advanced Techniques with my handy dandy camera are you able to see the paths of the swinging balls.

Holding still at the end of the
performance.

Special cape made of kiwi feathers
which are long and very slender, unlike those of most birds. They fall like coarse hair on the bird and in capes.

Pat is chief of our tribe of 18 nations
The guide got us to indicate where we were from. Eighteen countries were represented in the group of tourists. The chief must approach the warriors and accept a peace offering; a leaf. And not smile or laugh.

The head warrior comes out and
does a threatening dance, waving weapons and doing alot of gutteral noises, huffing and spitting, opening eyes wide and protruding tongue.

The woven flax garment worn
by the warriors.

Our cheif is welcomed by their chief
and so the rest of us Tribe of 18 Nations can enter into the pa, or village where we can break bread together.

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