Rotorua - Part 2

There are so many places to see in Rotorua. You could spend 2 weeks here and not see or do everything.

We had heard about the Government Gardens, on the lake’s edge in downtown Rotorua, so we walked there.

This site is of legendary and historical importance to local Maori people, for here many significant battles have taken place. In the late 1800s, the Maori people gifted 50 acres of this land to the crown "for the benefit of the people of the world". The land was a scrub-covered geothermal area with several therapeutic pools. The scrub was cleared and formal gardens planted. Several large trees remain from those early days, including multi-trunked Japanese firs and an unusual Californian weeping redwood.

In 1908, the New Zealand government opened a large and elaborate bath house for tourists which was built in the Elizabethan Tudor style of architecture.

Today this building houses a museum which has been closed for renovations. Two years ago, it was deemed unsafe in earthquake situations so it has been in the process of being fixed up for the past 2 years.

In the early 1930s a second building, the Blue Baths, was constructed in an ornate Mediterranean style. Donna told us that she has soaked in those hot tubs. These were among the first baths in the world to allow both males and females in the same pool. Rather than medicinal, the purpose of the Blue Baths was fun - a chance to socialise in the style of Hollywood movie stars. Fully restored to their original glory, the Blue Baths offer tourists the chance to relax in heated waters in an architecturally stunning setting.

By now, we were getting hungry, so we headed to Eat Streat where we chose to eat Thai Food in one of the many restaurants, the Wild Rice restaurant. Delicious food.

The school teacher who we had met earlier had suggested that we go to Sulfur Point/Bay, so that is where we went before heading home.

Sulphur Bay is a perfect example of Rotorua's famous geothermal environment.

The constantly changing landscape around the bay is quite eerie and alien. Silica flats, rocky terraces, and sulphur ledges are next to active boiling mud pools and steam vents. Even the water is interesting. Its milky colour is the result of sulphur particles that are suspended in the water.

The bay's closeness to feeding grounds and the warmth generated by the geothermal activity, means the area attracts many native birds. Apparently there are 60 different species of birds here including the banded dotterel, the scaup, and three types of gull in this protected wildlife reserve.

We saw a lot of gulls. I read that many of them have damaged feet due to the sulphur water eating away at the webbing. No food can live in the sulphur waters so the birds have to look for it elsewhere. I did read that the gulls have learned how to chase fish into these water where they will die because of the lack of oxygen. I am not sure if that is true but if so, it is another amazing fact of nature.

It was definitely a unique place to visit.Read more