Geothermals & Redwoods

Today's early 10am adventure was a short distance away from Taupo to watch the first of four daily water releases, creating the amazing Aratiatia Rapids 🌊. Priority stop on the way was at a cafe for good coffee. The date scone & carrot cake spoke to us and we had to buy them 😋. We agree with a review that this ultra-nutty carrot cake is the best ever! Maybe they'll share the recipe?

Fun fact: Aratiatia Rapids was the location used in The Hobbit trilogy for the barrel and rapids escape scene. It took a bit for the upper pool to fill as the spillway gates were only partially open, then the torrent commenced 🥳 Before long the water began to ebb, and we decided to walk to the end of the viewing path and back.

A couple hours up the road we stopped at the Waiotapu Thermal Wonderland. Again another repurchased ticket online provided some savings 🎫👍. This tourist location can get a very busy in summer, but mid-week early in Fall time was more relaxed. We witnessed some pretty amazing geothermal wonders. We didn't arrive early enough to see Lady Knox Geyser, as it's a triggered event once a day and not necessarily much of a spectacle. The LOTR director recorded the sounds of the bubbling mud in a sink hole for the sounds of Mordor. There was also plenty of sulphur and moisture in air 🤢 to keep us moving quickly at times.

Finally arriving in Rotorua, we stopped for a snack at a sushi express before continuing on around the block to walk through the Redwood forest. VERY. BIG. TREES 🎄😍 Sweet smells of the forest were refreshing especially after the thermal aromas (Sulphur).

Late afternoon found us at our evening accommodation where we got a free upgrade to a larger room with a private bathroom. We freshened up and went to explore dinner options. The Eat Street restaurant area was excessively loud and busy, so we opted for a walk to a quieter area across town and enjoyed a Mexican sampler platter for two. We were hungry, but the serving was large enough for three or four!

The owner's seven year old son was hanging out. He was playing a bit, but was curious for a visit. It didn't take much to engage him in a conversation and learn a bit about a local's perspective from a young mind. The owner apologized for his interruption, but we quite enjoyed it.Weiterlesen