Rotorua

---

Our journey next took us to Rotorua, the sulphur city, famous for its thermal springs, geysers and bubbling mud pools. Well they certainly are not kidding about the sulphur smell, it hits you as soon as you drive through the centre and lingers in the air. We were told that we would get used to it but we never did.

We got up early to go to Waimangu Volcanic Valley - one of the most geothermal areas around Rotorua. We walked past bubbling lakes (called the frying pan) and streams. It was quite eerie in the mist to hear everything bubbling away and to see all the steam rising from the streams. The walk around the place took us a few hours (as we decided to walk there and back instead of catching the bus back.) We didn't bother with a boat ride on the lake, as we didn't think we would see that much more dramatic thermal activity than we'd already seen. The stench was amazing, as were the colours of the

We then drove to blue and green lake on the ouitskirts of Rotorua but they were not even worth a photo compared to the Blue lake at Mount Gambia.

In the afternoon we decided to explore Kuirau park in Rotorua, which is free and has lots of thermal activity. The best, was a large pool in the centre of the park, which you could walk out to on boardwalks.

That evening we went to Tamaki Maori Village to experience a Maori concert and Hangi (traditionally prepared food, cooked underground.) Our tribe was named Kea Waka and our Chief was a guy from Las Vegas. Our cheif had to be brave and not be intimadated by the Maori Warriors, who were trying to scare him by poking out their tongues and performing a tribal dance. We were accepted as friends by the tribe and allowed to wander into their village to watch them at their trades. They then performed the Haka and various stories from their past before we went to eat our Hangi (now being a vegetarian, I did not get to eat food that was traditionally prepared, as the main stable diet is meat. Jason tells me that all the meat was good.)

In Rotorua we stayed at a hostel called Treks. It is fairly new and therefore very clean. The kitchen was well equipped and lots of hobs to cook at (you have no idea what its like when you are short of hobs and having to wait for people to finish cooking. )

The next day we set off for Taupo. On our way we called in at Waiotapu Thermal Wonderland, which is famous for Lady Knox Geyser. We had a walk round the thermal park before driving a couple of of Kilometers to watch Lady Knox erupt. You sit in an ampitheatre, eagarly waiting for the geyser to go off at 10.15. We didn't realise that it needed a helping hand with a pinch of soap powder added to it (we were told that it would naturally erupt itself but that the cycle is anything from 24 hrs to 48, so they have been regulating the time to every 24hrs for the last 80 years.) Anyway, it started off slowly but soon erupted to about 10 feet (it gets even higher in winter when its been raining a lot.) After watching it for about 5 mins we went back to Waitopu to finish off our walk around the wonderland.

---

Photos

Kuirau, Rotorua
Some free thermal thrills!

Mauri taunting!
If you can handle the intimidation, they welcome you in.

Not what you're thinking!
Mauri tatooing

???, Wai-O-Tapu
"What a wonderful smell you've discovered"