Rotorua

We set off on another sunny morning to Rotorua to experience our first bit of Geothermal activity.  First stop though was Kiwi Capital - Te Puke (pronounced Te Pukey) where we walked to the top of a giant Kiwi Fruit and drank a pint of Kiwi Juice!

That Kiwi juice is really invigorating! 

Feeling fully kiwi-fied, we continued to Rotorua, or as I like to call it - the town of eggy pumps! Rotorua has a distinctive eggy smell thanks to the bubbling activity underground. As we took a stroll alongside the park to watch the steam billowing out of the craters in the ground, I was surprised at how relaxed the local residents were as they walked with their dogs beside a bubbling volcanic pool! 

As the sun disappeared behind the clouds and the heaven's opened, we thought we would make the most of the geothermal activity and enjoyed an afternoon soaking in the mineral hot pools as the rain fell upon us. 

We finished our evening enjoying some Mauri culture at the Mitai Mauri village, watching some muscly men perform a Haka in very little clothing, followed by some hangi - a traditional Mauri meal cooked in the ground. 

Traditional Hangi Meal