First 2 days in Rotorua

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Hello all. I see that there are a few more subscribers. More are always welcome, I don't discriminate 😊 And yes I have been eating my vegetables Uncle Phil, but just this morning, oops. I have been eating bananas and apples everyday, and hiking so I am staying pretty healthy for the most part. And yes, Pela is cool, but I didn't get to listen to them much before I left, however, I did listen to Band of Horses a lot. They are way good.

Yesterday we got into Rotorua, and you know you are in Rotorua when you smell rotten eggs. It's not because they have an over abundance of chickens, but because there are a lot of sulfur pits. We walked through a park where we saw about 10 different areas where there were pools of water steaming and bubbling and continued into a low income housing area where the steam was even rising from some people's back yards. I came to the conclusion though that at first it is cool seeing water bubble and steam, but then it just gets boring.

Today we woke up in our 7x10 room, (that's for 2 of us), and checked out some hiking, or as the New Zealanders call it, tramping areas. By the way, for those that do not know, we are renting a car to help us get around. Driving was very strange at first because everyone drives on the left. I noticed that I was looking both ways before turning no mater what kind of turn it was, and making a right from the far left is just strange. But I have gotten used to it, I just hope I don't end up driving on the left when I get back to the states 😊

The hiking today was much less strenuous then the last few hikes we have done. We drove out to Lake Rotorua and tramped along the side of the lake for a good 2 hours, periodically stopping to check out the small beaches, before going inland to do a loop hike to a cascading waterfall. This had to be one of the most beautiful waterfalls I have ever seen with my own two eyes. Yosemite falls are great because of their grandeur, but these falls, as you can see, were just amazing to me because of their layered simplicity. It was very peaceful to hang out at the base of them while we ate scroggin. Scroggin is like trail mix, but called scroggin.

Ok time to go. The saying, time is money, unfortunately applies here.

Daniel

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Photos

Sulfur pond
I think it's hot.

Clouds with a figure
I think I see Jesus in the clouds! Seriously though, it is a window with Jesus dressed in a Maori outfit with a reflection of the clouds on it.

Cascading Waterfall!
I literally took 20 pictures and couldn't load the really good ones because I have a 6mb limit per photo, but still you can see the awesomeness :)

Comments

[budhoekstra]

cool pictures!

[bud hoekstra]

did you know that yellowstone nat'l park has a compatriate park in NZ? Born of same era and park idea?

[dneal]

I did not, which park in NZ?

[Mom]

Tongariro National Park?
Perhaps this is the park Bud is referring to. Wikipedia says: "To prevent exploitation of the mountains by European immigrants, Te Heuheu Tukino IV (Horonuku), the most significant chief of the M
ori Ngati Tuwharetoa iwi (or clan), gifted the heart of the current national park, consisting of the peaks of Mount Tongariro, Mount Ngauruhoe, and parts of Mount Ruapehu, to The Crown on September 23, 1887, on condition that a protected area was established there. This 26.4 km² area was generally considered to be too small to establish a national park after the model of Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming (USA), and so further areas were bought."

[Mom]

Compatriot Park
So, here is what Bud wrote back to my query: Nope, not what I meant! In 1832 the US set aside Hot Springs, AKansas, as a permanent preserve. Squattors moved in and took over the place anyhow, and when the War Between the States rousted the residents of this government reserve, a new set of squattors arrived after the war to take over. By 1870 the two packs of squattors squabbled over the reserve of the hot springs, and the case landed in court. Meanwhile, observing all this hub over the hot springs, a second hot springs reserve emerged, known as Yellowstone, The US Cavalry was sent to patrol both camps, Yellowstone, WY, and Hot Springs, AK. A kindred hot springs in New Zealand was set aside about 1870. From these events are the birth place of the national park concept and the national parks. By the way, Hot Springs AK was the location of the first Army/Navy Hospital (Veteran's Hospital) after the Civil War, and up to 1940 the superintendents of Hot Springs were always MD's. New Zealand's park system (hot springs) has its roots in Hot Springs AK, reserved by federal statute in 1832, having been a copy of the preservation. However, I forget the name of New Zealand NP with these intertwining roots Mom here: I'm trying to find the name via internet research. The following is some research so far but I'll keep looking: from Wikipedia: There are hot springs on all continents and in many countries around the world. Countries that are renowned for their hot springs include Iceland, New Zealand, Chile and Japan. Go to this website to see a photo of macaques (a type of monkey) enjoying hot springs in Ngano. Enlarge the photo by clicking on lower right corner of it. http://www.answers.com/topic/hot-spring Kamchatka, New Zealand has scenic geysers (like Yellowstone).