http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/New-Zealand/North-Island/Rotorua/ Travel adventures in journals and photos from Oceania , New Zealand , North Island , Rotorua en-us Sun, 26 May 2013 02:01:20 +0000 Sun, 26 May 2013 02:01:20 +0000 Sunday 21st April Day Eighteen in RotoruaSeeing 18 sheep on a stage behaving so well is an amusing experience and touching them afterwards is a strange sensory experience especially as their wool is either so thick so tangly or so oily with the lanolin. But watching the sheep dogs run over their backs and lying down on them was even more strange. This was at the Agrodome after an other earl http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/New-Zealand/North-Island/Rotorua/blog-785774.html The two German girls in my room were super noisy this morning chatting in the room with complete disregard at 7.30am. After an hour of this I was rather fed up so I gave in trying to sleep and got up.As my bus wasnt until 4pm this afternoon I checked out put all my luggage in storage and much to my surprise had a highly amusing day. I went for an amazing late breakfast at a place called B http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/New-Zealand/North-Island/Rotorua/blog-784070.html RotoruaRotorua is the cultural and geothermal hub of the north island and you notice it immediately on entering in the form of the distinct smell of rotten egg from the sulphur released from the steaming vents. This was our first taste of the geothermal side of New Zealand.Listed in the top attractions was a walk or mountain bike around the Redwood forest just outside of town. The stillness and si http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/New-Zealand/North-Island/Rotorua/blog-778804.html We arrived in smelly Rotorua aka Sulphur City. Pete went off to the hobbiton tour and us girls just sat around gossiping like normal. once Pete was back we got the coach to the Tamaki tours a tour which shows and tells you all about the Maori culture.When we got there we had to elect someone to be tribe leader and his job was to greet the tribe leader in the Maori village. As we went in the Ma http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/New-Zealand/North-Island/Rotorua/blog-776939.html ROTORUA Rotorua is one of the most exciting tourist destinations in New Zealand despite the fact that it smells like rotten eggs This is because Rotorua is a city bubbling with geothermal activity hot pools mud pools and geysers release hydrogen sulphide into the air which is responsible for the sometimes pungent aroma. Far from being a repellent the smell adds to the Sulphur Citys charm. http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/New-Zealand/North-Island/Rotorua/blog-776523.html Another scenic walk to get our day off to a good start The walk took us out to the Ruaki forrest caves and we climbed through some little tunnels. We arrived in Rotorua around midday and had the afternoon to explore the city. Rotorua is one of three geothermal hotspots in the world everywhere you look steam is coming out of the ground We even saw a bit of pavement cracked with bubbling water http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/New-Zealand/North-Island/Rotorua/blog-774408.html Roturua ist ein relative kleiner stinkiger Ort im zentralen Plateau auf der Nord Insel. Stinkig aus folgendem Grund es liegt in einer vulkanische Region mit vielen geothermalen Aktivitaeten. Unbedingt sehenswert und man kann dort richtig viele coole Sachen sehen wie Geysiren blubbernden Vulkanen kochendheissen Schlammloechern jeder Menge Rauch und Schwefeldampf und mit Suesswasser gefuellten http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/New-Zealand/North-Island/Rotorua/blog-769618.html On Saturday we got up early and got the bus from Whitianga to Rotorua via Thames with a cheeky stop by a giant LP Bottle LP is a NZ drink that tastes a lot like lemonade but seems to be pretty dear to Kiwi hearts...so we tried a small one to be politeAs warned by the guide book and by Christine Rotorua itself smells of eggs due to all the sulphur coming from the many bubbling pools of http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/New-Zealand/North-Island/Rotorua/blog-767088.html The Waitomo Caves were great. We absailed crawled through small gaps in the cave walls went through the rapids on tire tubes and rock climbed out. After finishing there we drove to Rotorua and stayed at the xbase carpark stocking up the van again at the supermarket. The next day we went to the Luges. I beleive they are the best thing ever to do my mate and I got pretty competitive at trying to r http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/New-Zealand/North-Island/Rotorua/blog-765527.html Kia ora no not a request for an orange drink but hello in the Maori language.Looked out of the porthole and saw rain. Typical as we have chosen to take a 9.5 hour tour from the port of Tauranga to Rotorua. Good news we looked out our cabin door and the exit sign has been replacedWe were on the bus at 8.45 am and off we went. I slept most of the way. Our first stop was Rainbow Springs. This is http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/New-Zealand/North-Island/Rotorua/blog-763551.html Rotorua is a lovely town and the restaurants and local wines and beers are first class. In the resturant tonight we conformed to one local custom which is to try a small sample of the locally brewed beers one third of a litre of each mind you just to have a taste of a selection.We will have no trouble sleeping tonight http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/New-Zealand/North-Island/Rotorua/blog-762185.html Well you have to do something different on holiday Some come to New Zealand to Bungy Jump but for me I could not eventually resist the lure of a trip in an Otter Seaplane from Lake Rotorua to view Mount Tarawera and the surrounding thermal area.This was a late afternoon spur of the moment trip. We took off from Lake Rotorua just outside our hotel and flew SW over the Crater Lake District rather http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/New-Zealand/North-Island/Rotorua/blog-762157.html Arrived at Rotorua after a journey through the actively volcanic thermal region of the North Island. It is peculiar to see steam rising from small craters by the side of the road with larger craters of boiling water and mud causing significant hazard zones if you are not careful to stick to the path. And the smell of sulfur which hangs on the breeze pervades the air even in the hotel at times. http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/New-Zealand/North-Island/Rotorua/blog-761953.html Arrived in Auckalnd and spent a little time sorting out a new SIM card for my phone and a hire car. Stayed in Auckland overnight and decided to set off early in the morning. With my lovely little satnav to show me the way had was so on on my way to Rotorua which is about a three hour drive from Auckland. I just could not believe how quiet the roads were it was very rural and a lot like the Eng http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/New-Zealand/North-Island/Rotorua/blog-761153.html The internet connection that I have for the next week isn39t all that great so I can39t upload pictures to my blogs. I don39t want to leave them all until I get home so I39ll post the blogs without pictures and then add the pics in later.We arrived at the Maori tribal house called a Murae pronounced mereye and everyone was extremely welcoming They said some greeting prayers in Ma http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/New-Zealand/North-Island/Rotorua/blog-757648.html Well we stayed in another AirBnB in Napier which is one of the Art Deco capitals of the world. The accommodation was you guessed it in someone39s garden. If anyone out there has a garden shed they need looking after I am your man ha ha.Well a bit about Napier for you. In Feb 1931 the whole town of Napier was destroyed by an earthquack and subsequent fire. However from the ashes arose a magnif http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/New-Zealand/North-Island/Rotorua/blog-757384.html A cloudy day but off to Rotorua we go.Not a lot to say about that area as it is very commercial. A lot of tourist affiliated stuff which we do not like to do.The area we liked is called The Redwoods Huge redwood trees and pongo tree ferns underneath. Wr hiked walked about 2 hours enjoying these magnificent trees.Tomorrow we will start up the coromandel for a few days before coming back to Tau http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/New-Zealand/North-Island/Rotorua/blog-754864.html The following events take place between October 25 and October 26 and are based on a true story. Our bus doesn39t leave rotorua until about 4 so we wanted to do a bit of exploring around ole stinktown before we take our leave. Had the best sleep of entire trip in the beautiful YHA...I fully plan on staying at a YHA when we get to Sydney. We walked out to the lake front and then through the go http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/New-Zealand/North-Island/Rotorua/blog-752559.html A must visit is the thermal region of WaiOTapu containing the Lady Knox geyser mud pools and thermal springs. I was immediately suspicious when they advertised the geyser going off at 10.15am each day only to have my suspicion confirmed when the guide admitted they induce the eruption by dousing it with a surfactant. It would however erupt spontainiously every 2436 hours if left to it39s o http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/New-Zealand/North-Island/Rotorua/blog-752149.html A bonus of this campground is that campers dont have to wait for the hot pools to open up. Campers can access them any time in the morning. We took advantage of this and spent the morning relaxing in the wonderful thermal hot springs enjoying pleasant surroundings and no crowds.From there we went on to WaiOTapu thermal wonderland. We were there in time to see the Lady Knox Geyser erupting. http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/New-Zealand/North-Island/Rotorua/blog-748410.html