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Published: February 13th 2017
Today we had a busy day, touring the sites around Rotorua. We started by touring the Whakarewarewa Volcanic Valley which is a geothermal site with boiling springs and volcanic activity forming heated lakes and streams with a sulfur content such that the site, and indeed the city, smells of rotten eggs. This site has had a significant amount of volcanic activity in the past. Furmaroles, or steam vents have been formed where water or gas comes up to the surface, which heats the water and forms geysers. The lake that has been formed has a temperature of 210 at the bottom and 130 degrees at the top. This is very similar to Yellowstone, but on a smaller scale.
Later in the day we went to a Kiwi birthing site, the national bird of New Zealand, and the only place in the world this animal is found. Eggs are taken and developed until the bird is one year old and it is then reintroduced into the world. We got to see a live Kiwi, something rare to see except when the animal is in captivity.
For dinner we attended a Mitia Maori dinner and concert which
was similar to a Hawaiian luau. A lot of pomp and circumstance, but a little overdone for me. But on such a trip, it seems to make sense to take it all in.
I will be happy to get our of this hotel and city. The hotel has no AC and the entire city smell of sulfur due to the volcanic activity. Tomorrow we fly to Queenstown on the south island, which I understand to be the most picturesque.
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Linda
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A question
Is the lower left picture a bike sculpture?