Rotorua

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On the way to Rotorua, the driver explained some of the background to this place. It is located in a geothermal area, which means there are lots of bubbling mud pools, geysers, and small lakes with steam rising off, as the hot water comes up from below the surface.

We stopped for a short walk on the way in a gorge which was near a mining town. We walked along some train tracks for a while, and saw some rusted old iron equipment, which they used to use to remove the quartz from the gold when they dug it up.

Maori culture and sulphurous pools

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After we arrived, we went up to the top of a hill overlooking Lake Rotorua. As well as having a great view, this also had some activities. The first one was a 'sky-swing', which is basically a pod with three people in it, which gets pulled back (as you would do a swing) and released so you swing out overlooking the lake. Ash, Will, and myself went on this, it was brilliant.

After this we went on the luges. I thought a luge was a tea-tray which suicidal people sat on and went through toboganning tracks, but these ones were like smaller go-karts without an engine, and BMX handlebars instead of a steering wheel. There are tracks running down the mountain which you race down, and get gondolas back to the top. This was great fun as well.

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After all that excitement, we got back and went for a walk in the Kairua park just opposite the hostel. This had several fenced-off areas where there were bubbling pools of water and mud. There was a small lake in there, and you walked right out over the middle on a walkway, when the wind blew the wrong was you couldn't see anything for the fog of water.

The best thing we went to was during the evening. The Tamaki Maori village is set up to represent how the Maori lived back before the Europeans arrived, and they go through the procedure of appointing a chief for each bus which goes, a welcome ceremony, some dances and Maori songs, and after that a Hangi meal (this is where the food is cooked underground by hot rocks).