It's been almost a week since we started living in our Motorhome and it's rained every single day. To stay positive Chris and I have started saying to each other; 'oh good it's raining, was worried we weren't going to get rain today'. We spent the last couple days in the smelly town of Rotorua. Surrounded by geothermal activity it's definitely a bit of a tourist trap town but well worth the visit regardless. Unlike other countries we've visited with geothermal spots Rotorua has fenced these places off and turned them into paid parks. There are several parks to choose from so we went for the Wai-o-Tapu Thermal Wonderland located 30 minutes outside Rotorua. It's claim to fame is being New Zealand's most colourful geothermal area with waters ranging from cyan to yellow and an especially vivid fluorescent green pool named the Devil's bathtub. Additionally there is a fungus that covers the vegetation in the area which is full of carotene and as a result is bright orange. For $32.50 each we entered the Thermal Wonderland and spent 2 hours walking around the park looking at various bubbling pools, colourful ponds and getting a nose full of sulphur. The highlight was definitely the 'Champagne Pool', 62 meters deep and 65 meters across it is the heart of the surrounding pools leaking into and blending it's minerals giving the area it's different colours. The other highlight was the bubbling mud pond located outside the park with free entrance. After an afternoon of geothermal action we did one of the few free activities in the region and took a short hike through the Redwood Forest. Fun fact this forest got it's name after numerous species of tree were planted to see which would grow best for lumber purposes, California Redwoods did well. After our nature walk we headed to Te Puia, another Geothermal park only 5 minutes from downtown Rotorua. The day entrance fee was a whopping $51.00 each so we skipped this and went straight for the 6pm Maori Hangi. Maori culture is very present in New Zealand, evident in the unpronounceable street names we keep encountering. At Te Puia we had the opportunity to attend a Maori show which included a showing of their songs, dances, games and we even got to participate in the Poi dance for the ladies and Haka for the men. After the show we sat down for our Hangi, dinner cooked in an earth oven. Our dinner included lamp, chicken pumpkin and kumara (type of sweet potato) plus a ton of non traditional foods like pasta and salad etc. After an extremely filling dinner we set out for a nighttime viewing of the local Geyser, Pohutu. We were expecting something similar to what we had seen in Iceland where a large hole of water shoots upwards in a massive gush. What we got instead was a hill side of bubbling water with thin spouts of geyser water pushed high into the air and evaporated. It was less dramatic but equally fun to watch especially at night back lit to really show off the steam. After a good nights rest in a freedom parking spot (loving free nights!) we headed out to Taupo. The rain must have known we were coming because it seemed to start the moment we parked the car in Taupo. Despite damp conditions we set out for Huka Falls and wow, just wow, this water is moving! Pictures don't accurately capture the force and the sound coming up from the water, it's very impressive. The water gets pushed through the narrow passage and dumps over a short but powerful waterfall into the lake below. We took the free and easy way to view the falls, from a walking path, but there are a few other more exciting ways to experience Huka Falls as well including a jet boat which we saw power-slide up to the waterfall. After a few minutes a getting thoroughly soaked in the rain we hid in the camper and retreated for the day into a service stop where we're now sitting with tea and free wifi. Hoping for some dry weather so we can take advantage of the great hiking in this area! If we get rained out tomorrow we'll likely head out to Hawkes Bay/ Napier where wine and beaches await!
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