Waitomo to Rotorua

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Thurs am we did a 3 Cave Combo tour of the Waitomo Caves. The first limestone cave offers the opportunity to see stalactites, stalagmites and amazing colonies of glowworms by boat. The acoustics are really good and they hold carol concerts in the caves during December - they have even had the Vienna Boys Choir performing. The second cave, Ruakuri, offers another opportunity to see Glowworms close up led by really interesting and knowledgable guides. The third cave, Aranui, was much smaller but had incredibly ornate cave formations, so much so that they even hold weddings down there.
From here we headed a short distance North to Otorohanga Kiwi House and Native Bird Park, which is a conservation park with breeding programmes to protect endangered species. Here we saw the elusive kiwi. Being nocturnal they are not readily seen so they have darkened enclosures where the kiwis are fed twice a day to lure them out of the shadows and supplement their diet. The largest bird was a Great Spotted Kiwi called Atu who alternated between eating the food from a long tube and walking between the keepers legs and repeatedly pecking her nether regions! From Otorohanga it was approximately 2hrs to Rotorua. Rotorua is the famous geothermal region of New Zealand, which is characterised by the smell of sulphur, and for its Māori marae which welcome tourists to experience their way of life and culture. We stayed in the YHA, which is large and well equipped in a lovely double room with ensuite. The downside was the position of the room which was west facing so really hot in the evening and directly above the entrance which meant it was a bit noisy but still good value for money. On Friday we had an early start- setting the alarm for 5.15am for a 1 1/2hr drive up to Whakatane to sail out to White Island, an active marine volcano 48 km offshore. Once again we had the fortune to come across a pod of approx 500 Common Dolphin. They were looking for feeding grounds but were quite happy to circle the cruiser and race alongside. The Common Dolphin is smaller than the Bottlenose but just as captivating, especially as they had young with them. We were ferried to the island on a launch in groups of 10. Stepping ashore takes you into a different world- a stark, rocky, treeless landscape of hissing steam vents, swirling sulphur and volcanic debris. We set off with our mandatory hard hats and gas masks, learning about the island's geological features and human history from an experienced guide is invaluable. It was a unique experience and well worth the early start! Saturday we started the day at Whakarewarewa, a living Māori village where the Tuhourangi /Ngati Wahiao people share their heritage with visitors. The village boasts a geyser, thermal pools and mud pots and you can watch a Māori cultural experience including a Haka, singing and dancing. From here we drove to Waimangu to experience more geothermal activity which included sailing on a lake created by volcanic activity. We ended the evening at the Mitai Māori Hangi, a traditional bbq with brilliant entertainment - well recommended. There were 24 different nationalities of guests at the Hangi and the master of ceremonies was able to greet each in their own language! So impressed!

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Photos

Ruakuri Cave - Glowworm lines
Sticky lines catch insects which glowworm larvae pull up and devour!

Walking through Sulphur deposits - hence glam gasmask
Totally unique and stunning scenery on island with live volcano