ROTORUA

Today has been all about volcanic and thermal. Rotarua is situated in a volcanic basin and is covered with collapsed craters, cold and boiling pools of mud, water and steaming fumaroles. We were taken by bus to see a variety thermal active areas. We saw a geyser which goes up at about 10am each day, they set it off by adding some washing powder into it and within a couple of minutes it goes up for a short time and then the pressure builds up again for the next day.
Jan and I and another couple took a 40 minute helicopter flight over Mount Tarawera to view the spectacular craters and domes formed by the eruption in 1886 which was the largest eruption in NZ. We were supposed to have landed on it but due to it being too windy up there the pilot took us over one of the areas the we had walked in the morning which was good to see from the air.
This evening we were taken to Tamaki Maori Village where they put on a dance, musical and cultural evening followed by a Hangi Feast.
Photos
Artists palette
Domes formed after volcano
Entrance to Tamaki Maori Villaga
Geyser
Geyser about to errupt
Maori warriors arrivingRead more