The Road to Rotorua

Paua Shells-The black patterns come from layers of protein laid down between layers of calcium crystals that make up the shell. The brillaint colors are from light being refracted with crystal layers.
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Today began with an 8am departure south via the Southern Motorway through the sprawling suburbs of South Auckland and Manukau City.  We crossed the Bombay Hills, an area known for its light volcanic soil and market gardening. Then, we headed east towards Ngatea and Paeroa.

A quick stop at the Wilderness Gems factory, River Road, Ngatea, gave us the chance to look at a good selection of local gemstones and minerals. Jade carvings and Paua shells were dominate.

As we sit on an outcropping of rock, we can feel our bottoms gently warmed by the geothermal heat below!

Kiwifruit
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We continued via the Karangahake Gorge through which the Ohinemuri River races. Karangahak sprung into prominence with the area's only true old-fashioned gold rush on March 3rd 1875. The following report on the opening of the Ohinemuri Goldfields describes the scene graphically,

"Racing down the hill come miners, some on horses, others running. Dust fills the air, over the flats they stream. Plunging into the Ohinemuri River, horses and men flounder, confusion reigns supreme. Charging up the hill towards the quartz outcrop already protected as a discover's claim, come hundreds of men pushing, shoving,swearing,fists flying. One sees the flash of hammers as pegs are driven into rocky ground, all hoping to make their fortune."  (unknown author)

Bay of Plenty
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We continued south through the citrus and kiwifruit orchards. This area,known as the Bay of Plenty, was named by Captain James Cook when he sailed the coastline in 1769 after observing the transit of Venus near Tahiti. British sailors were reputed to have surpassed those of the French etc. because of their use of fruits to prevent rickets and scurvy.

By noon, we arrived in the coastal city of Tauranga and crossed the harbor bridge to Mt. Maunganui. A 45 min. climb to the top of this extinct volcano provides outstanding views of the Bay of Plenty and the smaller islands of Motunki and Motuotau. This was once an important Maori refuge and defensive site.

Boulders of Basalt
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The stretch of sand that hugs the coastline is littered with the large basalts from the eruption of Mt Maunganui and shells from scallops, mussels, and more.

Although it's winter here, a surfer is caught by camera, at the end of a good run!

At 3pm, we continue on to Rotorua via coastal farmlands. We pass through the inland township of Te Puke (pronunced-Tee Pook-ee), known as the Kiwifruit capital of the world.  Views of trees planted as windbreaks allow the occasional glimpse of kiwifruit growing.

Te Puia- Carved Meeting House
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We arrive in Rotorua by 5pm. Rotorua is situated on a volcanic rift which stretches in a 200km (124mile) line from White Island off the coast of the Bay of Plenty, to Lake Taupo and the volcanoes of the Tongariro National Park in the Central Plateau of the North Island. Rotorua is a farming, forestry and light industrial center with the largest concentration of Maori residents of any New Zealand center and is the national focus for Maori culture. New Zealand boasts a population of over 4.1 million people. 78%  are immigrants from the UK and 15% of the population are Maori (none are pure-blood).

Kiwi feather cape and Kiwi bird
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We enjoyed an evening dip in the hot tubs and were treated to outstanding views of the Southern Cross.

Completing the evening was a lesson in rugby as the famed, NZ "All Blacks" took on their bitter rivals, the Australian "Wallabies." We watched and learned about the scrum and were cheering with the crowd as the "All Blacks" trounced the "Wallabies" !

DAY 2-Rotorua

Another early start has us heading to Te Puia, the Maori Arts and Crafts Institute and the Whakarewarewa Thermal Reserve, in a midst of geothermal activity. Near the entrance, we pick up a private guide in the model Maori pa village site.

Carving studio
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We begin our tour at the Meeting House,or wharenui, which is one of the few fully carved meeting houses in NZ. Inside we marvel at the intricate carvings and learn the ritual greeting or 'hongi" where the gentle pressing of noses between two people symbolize the sharing of two life forces. It is an expression of friendship and unity.  We observe the process of making a traditional skirt and view the long robe of Kiwi feathers. Then on to watch the trainee and graduate carvers at work.

Pohutu Geyser
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Next, it's time to heat things up as we watch the explosion of the famous Pohutu Geyser 30 meters into the air. Compared to Old Faithful in Yellowstone National Park in the USA, you can get amazingly close to this geyser. It erupts 10-20 times a day. Along the edges, you can see the trail of sulfur deposits as well as smell it on the air currents.  As we sit on an outcropping of rock, we can feel our bottoms gently warmed by the geothermal heat below! Steam can be seen escaping from rock crevices.

Close up of eruption of Pohutu Geyser and yellow sulfur deposits.
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This geothermal energy is used for heating homes, washing etc.

A walk through the unique geothermal vegetation takes us to pools of hot, boiling mud and silver tree ferns (Cyathea dealbata), also known as ponga, the emblem of NZ.

We leave this amazing natural resource and head to the Agrodome for a demonstration of sheep shearing and working sheep dogs. I truly did not realize there were that many different varieties of sheep! The pictures show the sheep prior to shearing. Merino wool is often the most sought after in wool sweaters. The dogs were amazing to watch since I happen to have a dog that's part Border- Collie. I think I need to show her the videotape of the dogs responding to whistles...maybe she'll learn something too!

Boiling mud pools!
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From here it's on to Rainbow Springs, where thousands of Rainbow and Brown Trout crowd one another in crystal clear waters. We view many indigenous plants along a bush walk and catch a glimpse of the famed, flightless kiwi bird in the nocturnal house and the Paradise Duck.

As evening approaches, I head to Mt Ngongotaha for the gondola cableway ride. The 4-seater aerial gondola has a vertical rise of 178.5m (580ft). At the top, I head for the wild luge ride! A 1 or 1.5 km ride down the mountain on a sled with wheels and a brake! The scenic run provides awesome views of the lake below, while the intermediate side provides thrills of a lifetime! At the end, a chair lift returns you and your sled to the top for another chance to master the mountain!

Sliver Tree Fern-National Emblem of New Zealand
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As the lights below in Rotorua begin to twinkle, we take our last run and catch the gondola back to the bottom! WHEW!!! What an action-packed day! Time to hit the hot tub again!

The evening ends with the Maori Cultural DInner show at the hotel featuring traditional songs, dances and seafood of New Zealand. The traditional "haka" or posture dance symbolizes the intimidation tactics used by the Maori. Dancers slap their thighs and chests,enlarge their eyes and stick out their tongues. No wonder the "All Blacks" perform this before each rugby match!