A Thermal Wonderland

A Tiki a the Entrance to Government Gardens
see more photos »

Rotorua Lake is practically unusable.  According to the literature 50 years ago this lake was crystal clear and a paradise for birds and people.  Fast forward to today and you find an algae-clogged murky body of water done in by modern farming practices.  There is an effort underway to clean the lake, but it will take time, lots of it.  So sitting by the lake is possible, swimming and fishing in it, isn't.

We had booked into the 'Only Mexican-themed backpackers in New Zealand'.  This place may be Mexican-themed but it is dark, dirty, cramped, worn out, with incredibly low ceilings.  This is a place to go to escape the oppression of the first world.  We did not stay here.

You know those cartoons where the miser finally opens his wallet to pay for something and moths fly out, think Mark on this holiday.

Bowls Tournment
see more photos »

Consulting the information at the icenter (note, these are all over the country and are truly the best places for travelers to find out what they can do, where they can go, where they can stay, and of course it is completely free).  The icenter is a brilliant idea.  We did find a place called Treks which we can recommend.  It does not have the "local" feel and charm, but it is clean, sunny, well-equipped, and full of interesting travelers.

Rotorua is highlighted on our trip as the place where Mark finally opened his wallet, tourist fashion, and actually paid for an activity.  You know those cartoons where the miser finally opens his wallet to pay for something and moths fly out, think Mark on this holiday.  Once the moths had flown off he parted with his credit card for a few minutes and paid for us to Zorb.  It really is more fun than sex and lasts longer (2 minutes or so).

Part of the experience is the ride up the hill to the Zorb ball on a rutted road in the back of a panel van, and in our case, with 5 young men from England who were treating bathing as an option during their visit to New Zealand.  Do this, it has no cultural worth, isn't dangerous, and is the silliest thing you can do, except maybe for that waterski board that you have to peddle to keep going on the water (this too is a New Zealand "invention").

Government Gardens is a large beautiful park in Rotorua with roses and hot springs and a great museum.  We sat for a while and watched a bowls tournament that was taking place on the grounds, and found while it may not be the most physically challenging game, it does involve great skill.  These ladies were able to make their balls move in ways that seemed to defy the laws of physics.

We once again did not allow enough time to do Rotorua justice, stay more than 1 day, do a lot of the touristy things (there are heaps of them), put up with the traffic by walking everywhere.

Oh and we met a friendly young man from Canada who was spending 6 months in Australia and New Zealand traveling on his own, before heading back home to BC. He had thought initially that we were from Canada (we get that a lot), but still kept talking to us when he learned the truth.  He had spent 5 months in Oz and only one in NZ, but after doing it, he told us he wished he had spent those 5 months in NZ instead.