Auckland and Rotorua

---

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 English countryside. Arrived in Rotorua and decided after a visit to the tourist information centre that I would visit the buried village of Te Wairoa. In 1886 a catastrophic eruption of nearby Mount Tarawera by destroyed a tourist village. Prior to the eruption people came from far and wide to bathe in the Pink and White terraces formed by the thermal activity and silica. A few days prior to the eruption one of the guides noticed that the level of the nearby lake had changed and water in the gullies was emptying and the filling. also when they were takin a boat of visitors to the terraces they saw a Maori boat going across the lake. It was seen by both visitors and locals. The guide told the local witch doctor of this and he predicted that there would be a disaster. When it happened they did nlovelock for the witch doctor although he was alive in his hut, but he was found four days later by the rescue teams. Following on after this he was sent to a me decal centre where they insisted on cutting his hair. He said no you must not as I get my strength from my hair. They ignored him and cut it two days later he died.

Quite an interesting little place also there was a lovely walk with a ninety foot water fall, vert pretty. Aso visited Blue Lake on the way back.

---