Hells Gate-Waiora Spa

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Today we went to Hells Gate, Rotorua's most active geothermal reserve and a local "taongo" (treasure) to the local Maori people. We walked around the reserve, the authetic Rotorua rotten egg smell was ever present-so Bean was gagging the whole way round. Hells Gate was formed about 10,000 years ago as a series of geothermal eruptions when an ancient lake drained to form Rotorua and Rotoiti. The removal of the water caused faulting of the rocks, allowing a violent escape of steam, gases and hot fluids.

As we walked around the reserve we passed bridge pools, ink pots, sulphur baths, inferno pools, spraying pools, hot waterfalls, sulphur crystals, mud volcanos, steaming cliffs, steaming fumeroles, steam boxes and cooking pools. In addition, we also learnt the tragic story of Hurutini. Hurutini wasa Maori princess who jumped into one of the boiling sulphur pools, after her husbnd, the chief, had disrespected Hurutini and her people. The pool she jumped into is now named after her, in her memory.

As we finished our tour of Hells Gate, we were invited to make some traditional Maori carvings into blocks of wood. I made an "interesting" piece, it was supposed to be the Maori symbol for mother and baby but ended up looking more like something you would find in a cat litter tray. Anna carved a new Zealand fern, she choose the easy option and Bean produced a rather cute, slightly hunched kiwi.

After a scone, drink and rumage around the gift shop in Hells gate we got back in Colin and headed south, to Tapo.

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