New Zealand - North Island - Waitomo to Rotorua - Day 4
December 20, 2005

After much protesting I was awoken to hit the road to Rotorua (or "The Big Stink" as it's known), feeling thoroughly shitty as my flu was getting worse. We left Waitomo on our two and a half hour drive east to Rotorua through the pouring rain and sheep blocking the highway.


Rush hour at Waitomo.
A classic example of a kiwi and his harem.
We reached our first stop at Wai-O-Tapu "Thermal Wonderland" which is a group of natural thermal formations with a fence around it and an entry fee to get in. We paid for our tickets and grabbed a dodgy umbrella (it kept opening of its own accord) from the gift shop to protect us for the torrential downpour outside. However, then we discovered that the Lady Knox Geyser which was due to erupt in about 10 minutes was back on the road we just came from on an unlabeled side road, so we could have basically gotten in there to see that without paying, had we known it was there.


Fiona with the Lady Knox Geyser
Something in this photo smells.
We jumped back in the car and raced to the geyser, stepped out of the car with our umbrella ready and the rain stopped. This would be the first of many times the weather fairy would bless us as we developed a bit of a pattern with rain stopping as we opened the car door and starting again as soon as we got back in. We enjoyed our first taste of the sickly sulfur smell as the geyser erupted in front of us before we drove back to the main area of Wai-O-Tapu to see the rest of the formations.

We wandered the "wonderland" for a good hour or two with much complaining and taking rest stops for my failing body, witnessing various sights like bubbling mud pools, strange coloured lakes and hot pools belching stinky steam, hot waterfalls and a small lake of water which was literally neon green in colour along with many steaming craters and vents. We eventually made our way back to the entrance and set off again for our accomodation at "The Funky Green Voyager" in Rotorua.


Wai-O-Tapu Thermal Wonderland
Take a deep breath before you enter.
We reached our hostel around lunch time and made sandwiches before I took a few cold and flu tablets we'd picked up in town and had a brief nap. It didn't last long as Fiona dragged me back into the car as I muttered between breaths "I'm dying". We made our way to Kuirau Park which is a free public park in the town itself with several active hot pools and mud pools dotted between trees and naturally fed hot spas for your feet. Though not as varied and large as Wai-O-Tapu, Kuirau Park was actually quite good and some of the hot pools and mudpools were more impressive and active than the paid entry park.

We drove through a few back streets and witnessed the many thermal vents dotted around people's yards on our way to St Faith's Church and the Tamatekapua Maori Meeting House which overlooks Lake Rotorua. We headed back to our hostel after briefly checking out the Government Gardens surrounding the Rotorua Museum. There we waited for our bus to take us to the Mitai Maori Village, an "authentic" maori dinner and show night. The show is run by the Mitai Maori family and consisted of a demonstration of maori culture, dance and costume, minus the tattoos (they're all painted on) in a show and a Hangi meal (buried food with hot coals) afterwards.


Matai Maori Village
Caution, rehearsed bad jokes await you.
We were seated with a couple of Victorian kids (one that blinked a lot) and a friendly backpacking pom while we ate, after which we were taken on a short tour to a small spring on the property, passing some glowworms through the forest on the way. With our bellies full and very tired we jumped back on our bus to take us home to bed at the Funky Green Voyager.

Posted by WetWired
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