Outside it's raining but inside it's wet

---

Rotorua is hell. It’s not that it is a bad place, more like the fact that the town is surrounded by bubbling mud pools, violent geysers and that a particularly unpleasant sulphur aroma hangs in the air. If you had an image of hell, it would probably be like Rotorua.
I visited Whakarewarewa Thermal Village; a Maori settlement located where the ground is at its thinnest and hot springs gurgle continuously underfoot. The inhabitants of the village put on show a show with singing, dancing, stick-throwing and ball swinging (tititorea and poi dances respectively). We were then given a tour of the hot pools, geysers and the outdoor baths where the townsfolk communally bathed everyday. It was possible to feel the heat through your shoes whilst walking around which was great as my feet seem permanently chilled in New Zealand. After the tour I had a fun hour scrabbling around taking various photos of, essentially, mud. I quite enjoyed this.
*
In the evening I attended a Maori concert and hangi. The concert consisted of more stick and ball action, whilst a hangi is a special method of cooking food underground using hot stones and steam. It was a lovely spread. After our feast we were led outside to see a woodland full of glowworms. I say full of glow worms, I saw about a dozen.
*
For the last day in Rotorua it rained constantly. I decided to have a lazy day and do nothing but sit by a roaring fire and read. I seem to be having more days like this as time goes on. Traveling is exhausting.

---

Photos

Lake Rotorua
A calm, peaceful scene until a horde of Japanese tourists decided to feed the seagulls.Pendemonium ensued.

Boat
Cut and shut job.

Thermals
I came across these pools whilst walking along the lake shore. I was merrily wandering about the bubbling puddles until I spied the back of a formal looking sign and went to investigate.

Whakarewarewa Thermal Village
Steam!

Blue pool in Whakarewarewa Thermal Village
Photos don't really do this justice. It was really, really blue. Really.

Millions of years ago everywhere looked like this.
Even Romford

Mitai Maori Village concert.
My cameras not that great, hence blurry images. You get the idea, though.