Kia Ora, everyone! (Maori for hello, translating directly to "be well/healthy")
This post is about our weekend journey to Rotorua, an area known for its geothermal activity and geysers. Like our other weekend travels we discovered many beautiful sights and had tons of random and thrilling adventures! We started our expedition on a Friday night and rented a car in order to have the freedom to travel to different sights throughout the area. It was the way to go in order to see all that we wanted and Yara led the way as our fearless driver, getting us to our destination safe and sound!
I must admit, our first impression of Rotorua when we arrived late on Friday night was not very positive due to several factors. First off, as we drove towards the neighborhood of our hostel we witnessed an arrest of rather dubious looking individuals--not a great start! Secondly, the smell hit us like a ton of bricks. We were all warned that Rotorua, nicknamed the Sulphur City, has hydrogen sulphide emissions that cause the city to smell like "rotten eggs." However, we were not quite prepared for just how potent the smell was and it took us awhile to adjust. We also were taken aback by our hostel. While our previous hostel in the Bay of Islands was lively and located in the heart of the city, this hostel (The Four Canoes) was eerily quiet and located in a dark area on the outskirts of the city. Plus our hostel contained some creepy, crawly friends....
Despite this first impression, we managed to get a good night's sleep and woke up the next morning ready to explore. Things quickly turned around as we headed to the beautiful Wai-O-Tapu known as the "Thermal Wonderland." We started off seeing the daily eruption of the Lady Knox Geyser which was very impressive! Then, we explored the breathtaking geothermal area with mud pools and colorful volcanic features over 1,000 years in the making. We were absolutely blown away by the sights! I could not believe the bright colors and volcanic material that we were witnessing. It was truly a once-in-a-lifetime experience.
Brianna, Eric, Yara, and I in front of the erupting Lady Knox Geyser!
The sights were unreal and with the rich history of the area felt somewhat mystical.
Volcanic craters and hot springs on every turn!
Mud pools and springs!
There was no wandering off the path unless you aimed to burn yourself to death!
Particularly blown away by the amazing green of this pool!
After we finished our incredible morning at Wai-O-Tapu we decided to switch things up and do rather extreme physical activities at Skyline Rotorua. Here we journeyed up the 900 meter gondola to the high point of Rotorua. It was a great vantage point to see the area's sights. Honestly, that was enough to thrill me, but the fun didn't stop there. We went on the luge which was part go-cart, part toboggan. We raced through the track, seeing lots of beautiful outdoor landscapes.
Heading up on the gondola!
Racing on the luge!
Posing in a luge cart!
Then, we got even more extreme, heading to the sky swing. When we first heard about the "swing" in the ticket area we thought it would be fun and relaxing. Little did we know, it was basically a seated bungee jump! Eric and Brianna went first, while Yara and I watched below in horror and begged for a refund (no joke!). Since we could not convince them to give us a refund despite our best efforts, we forced ourselves to take the plunge. It propelled us over 50 meters above ground level, up in the trees and then we free-fell reaching speeds of 120 kilometers per hour. We bounced back and forth like rag dolls in the swing and I lost my voice from screaming so much!
I do not have any pictures of the sky swing, but I do have this hilarious video with Eric narrating as we prepared for our descent. If you listen closely you can hear my screams of horror from afar! Thank goodness for me it cut off before the release :).
Next we headed to the Tamaki Village for a 3-hour Maori experience. This was an excellent way to learn about Maori culture and we had such a blast. On the bus ride into the village with the other tour members Eric was declared the Chief of our waka (Maori word for canoe)! He had to take part in the welcome ceremony and received special treatment throughout the night. We felt special by association. The only challenge was that he could not smile during the ceremony...a hard task for someone who never stops smiling and laughing!
Eric taking part in the welcome ceremony known as the Powhiri!
The welcome ceremony!
Once in the village we saw and participated in various cultural demonstrations! Yara played a stick game (and was runner up!), Brianna and Eric did a warrior agility test, Eric learned the Haka (war dance) and I learned a traditional Maori dance for women. We also saw displays of weaving, pottery making, and tattoo explanations. We also saw performances of traditional songs and dances.
Yara mastering the stick game!
Eric and Brianna about to do the agility test!
Eric learning the Haka dance!
Me (the girl with no rhythm or coordination) attempting to learn the dance while twirling a feather bow.
Not an easy task!
The best part of the evening for me was the traditional hangi feast. This Maori method for cooking food involves placing baskets of food underground on top of heated stones and cooking it for hours. I was so interested in this method and loved seeing them unearth the food. It included chicken, lamb, fish, potatoes, carrots, and kumara (sweet potatoes) was scrumptious! It was tender and the juices from the meats and vegetables blended for an amazing taste. Plus we had tasty rewana bread and delicious desserts including pavlova (although not quite as good as Erin's!).
The unearthing of the hangi food!
Eric was in a state of euphoria because he loved the rewana bread so much and he even gave an
impassioned speech about it on the bus ride home!
After returning from the village we were not quite ready to call it a night, so we decided to explore the city of Rotorua more and found the center of town where it was lively and there were tons of restaurants, bars, and shops. Much better than our shady hostel! In a very lucky move we also happened to stumble upon an incredible public concert and fireworks show in a park. There were thousands of people who came for the concert since it was such a huge deal and we just happened to come across the spectacle. Talk about being in the right place at the right time! Unfortunately my phone died at this point so I have no pictures to remember this moment.
With such a jam-packed Saturday we decided to center Sunday upon relaxation. Yara and I ventured to the Polynesian Spa to take advantage of their world renowned mineral hot springs and mud massages. The mineral water and famous Rotorua mud felt awesome on my skin and we were definitely feeling relaxed afterwards!
The hot spring mineral pools at the spa!
View from the springs!
Afterwards we met Brianna and Eric back in town for a lunch on "Eat Street" which was filled with restaurants. We went to a great spot that featured craft beer, coffee, and great food. And afterwards of course we had to make a stop for ice cream (my sweet tooth cravings were seriously out of control). Our final stop was to Warehouse which is similar to Walmart to buy cheap CDs for the car ride home since the radio in our rental car was broken!
Excellent craft brew and coffee restaurant on "Eat Street."
Cute and delicious ice cream shop! Some smart guy to me on the way in: "Why don't you actually go in and eat the ice cream instead of taking a picture outside?" My feisty Italian girl response: "Um, please, I'm about to do both, crazypants."
Our CD selections! Eric and I pushed for the musicals.
On the way home I had one last thrill and drove on the opposite side of the rode for the first time! It was a little strange and unnatural at first, but I got used to it and drove safely for about an hour and a half. Yara was kind enough to relieve me of driving duty so that I could sing and dance along to the musicals CD to my heart's desire (with Mamma Mia and Hairspray how could I not?!).
Lots of Love,
Katie
Fun Fact: In ta mako, the traditional Maori body and face tattoo, one side of the tattoo represents the maternal heritage of the individual while the other side of the tattoo represents the paternal heritage. It was very neat to hear the meaning and cultural significance behind Maori tattoos, but I will opt for the wash-off. :)
