Rotorua

Popular since Victorian times, Rotorua is a thermal wonderland of hot mineral springs, boiling mud, geysers and volcanoes, and is one of the major holiday areas in New Zealand.  On our first night here

we succumbed to the full tourist treatment at Te Puia, a thermal area famous for the Pohutu (big splash) geyser. We attended a Maori hangi. - a traditional meal baked over hot rocks in a pit in the ground. Of course we first had to be accepted by the Maori warriors who threw down a challenge to determine if we were friend or foe.  We were first entertained to a demonstration of the poi by the Maori women, and then the Haaka was performed by the warriors and male members of the audience were encouraged to participate. Tacky, but at least the food was good.

Pohutu Geyser

There are many thermal attractions on offer making it difficult to choose, but we settled on a visit to

the Waimangu Volcanic Valley.  This comprised a 5km downhill walk through the area's youngest thermal park formed by volcanic eruption in 1886, and subsequent eruptions in 1900, 1904, 1917 and 1973.  The park contains the world's largest hot spring, Frying Pan Lake, which resembles a huge, boiling cauldron.  The water temperature averages 50 degrees centigrade. Algae and rare metals give

rise to some spectacular colours in the pools and on the rocks around the springs.  A little further down the trail is Inferno Crater Lake which rises over a 38 day cycle until it overflows then falls back by 8 metres.  The water is extremely acidic. Vents in the rocks shoot forth steam all around and in places the ground is hot to the touch.

Leaving Rotorua behind we travelled across the volcanic landscape to Taupo where we stayed for the night beside the Lake.  As is the norm here, our room had its own private spa bath, with water heated geo-thermally.