Hobbit Wanders - Wai-O-Tapu

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HOBBIT WANDERS - Wai-o-tapu

As our hobbits gather food for the night’s meal, (at Pak’n’save) they are attracted by a new sight: strawberry flavoured Lindaur - popular NZ bubbly wine. It seems like a great idea putting strawberry flavour with the wine. They later realise that although it tastes fine, it’s a shame it smells like toilet spray. It might have been better drinking water from the ‘rotten egg’ smelling sulphur pools at Wai-o-tapu.


So what is Wai-o-tapu? It is Maori for ‘sacred waters’. You can see from the pics that any trip to New Zealand would be incomplete without a visit here. It offers a unique glimpse at our earth’s thermal activity that will not be seen in any other country.

Rotorua is one of the most volcanically active areas in the world, making up part of the worlds RING OF FIRE. It is a contrast to the tranquil forest home of the Kauris. Instead of gazing up wards into the branches of the Kauri, the hobbits now gaze downwards at Mother Nature’s painting pots of oxide oranges, vibrant greens and sulphur yellows.

There is lots of information boards placed around the area, and by following the map you are given at the entrance you leave with a real impression of how volatile this area is. With three active volcanoes nearby, (Ruapehu, Narahoe and Tongariro) and the mud pools bubbling away just off the high street, it is hard to escape the excitement of this turbulent landscape.

Back in the 1940’s when prisoners were in the area clearing scrub, something very interesting was discovered. The waters were ideal for doing laundry until one day the clothes that had just been cleaned were flung sky high by a geyser. The sudden eruption of water had been triggered by the chemicals in the washing powder. As a result of this minor interference with nature visitors can be guaranteed this spectacle at set times.

Although the city of Rotorua offers a lovely lake to look over and all the high street brands you could want, the only other port of call for these adventure hungry hobbits was the LUGE!

If you want to keep that inner child alive make sure you have a few runs on the luge. Although the name suggests some kind of sledding there is no snow involved, only a winding tarmac track down a hill. There are however chair lifts like at a ski field - thank goodness. It is kind of like a skateboard with a small sides and a handle bar which you pull back to slow and push forward to accelerate. I was a bit cautious on the first run - A LOT of people leave with severe grazes, including Moka - but after that I was having a ball. Luging is seriously good fun and I would be so surprised if you did not leave with smiles.

Although the campsite is quite close to the town centre and you are greeted with a little white paper bag of five cent lollies, including Eskimos, the sites are not designed for tents. They are too small and too hard. Thankfully the showers are hot and the communal area is welcoming. So welcoming in fact that I found myself watching the first episode of Home and Away I had seen in months.

Roto = Lake. Rua = two. So Rotorua means second lake. (Full Maori name: Te Rotorua-nui-a-Kahumatamomoe, meaning second great lake of the Kahumatamomoe region.) The hobbits had a good time here - pixie caramels, devils home, and fast plastic cars. What more could two wandering hobbits ask for?



A bus to Taupo!

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