Month: May 2013

May 24, 2013

Once again, it’s that time for the runner-up pictures to have their day. They just missed making the final cut, but I like them too much to not post them. So here it is, the hodgepodge of pictures from our day in Rotorua. (As always, click to enlarge and scroll) –Cyndi

May 24, 2013

After the village we had just enough time to get to Waimangu Volcanic Valley, one of the big geothermal parks in the area. These parks are very much like the one in Yellowstone, with steaming lakes, boiling mud, geysers, and beautifully-colored but lethal pools of scalding hot water. Walking along the trails through this steaming, bubbling, sulfuric-smelling landscape felt like a visit to primordial Earth.

The path started with a panoramic view of the area and the dormant Mount Tarawera. This volcano was responsible for creating this nifty park in 1886 and is still making occasional changes. Our first sight was Frying Pan Lake, which until 1917 was known as Frying Pan Flat and had a trail leading to a small inn. I hope no one was there when it became Frying Pan Lake.

We headed down the trail into Echo Crater towards the lake, getting a good look at the beautiful little green lake in Southern Crater as we walked by. Much of the Rotorua area is somewhat dry and scrubby, but there are pockets of lush vegetation that enjoy the warm steaming atmosphere around these parks.

At the valley floor we marveled at the steaming, boiling lake and the masses of steam pouring out of the monolithic Cathedral Rocks. We continued on, finding beautifully colored thermal pools and rivers and even a small erupting spring, like a mini geyser. Finally we came to the highlight of the park: Inferno Crater Lake. It’s a stunning turquoise blue pool set in white silica sand. It’s extremely hot and very acidic, as lethal as it is beautiful.

We saw a few more geothermal wonders as we made our way to the shuttle pickup point. The last part of the trail ran along a boiling river in a narrow canyon. The surroundings were fantastical, and the smell of sulfur and feeling of steam just added to the atmosphere. This was yet another magical wonder in New Zealand!

As much as we enjoyed the park today, I had the nagging thought at the back of my mind: what is the risk in visiting a place like this? I really have no idea, but I can’t imagine it’s too big with all the masses of people that come through here year in and year out. The last surprise eruption was in 1973 which sprayed mud and debris for a 100 meters. When will the next surprise happen?

By the time we drove away from the park, it was getting late and we decided to head back to Tauranga (the forest walk would have to wait for next time). The mountain air was now brisk and remarkably cold. It had been a long time since we’d felt air like that, and while I rather enjoyed it, it was another sign that the season was ending and it was time to sail on. This would be our last excursion here this season. –Cyndi

May 24, 2013

Ohinemutu Maori Village actually consists of a village square with historical sights surrounded by an average middle-class neighborhood inhabited mostly by people of Maori descent. It’s just on the outskirts of Rotorua, right on the lake. What’s most amazing about this area, aside from the historical sites, is that it’s right on top of geothermal activity. The houses sit among boiling pools and steaming vents–it’s one of the weirdest things we’ve ever seen. Many locals actually cook in the boiling springs on their property. (How they manage to raise children safely, I can’t imagine.)

We started with the buildings on the square, including the Tamatekapua meetinghouse and St. Faith’s church (finally something we can pronounce!). As we walked around, steam came out of vented manholes and the air smelled like sulfur. The ground was warm as we walked, and where bricks had cracked we could see water boiling underneath. The warm ground felt great on this rather cold day.

We ventured down a neighborhood street nearby, taking pictures of boiling pools of water and mud amongst the houses. It was a fantastic spot to visit, but I can’t imagine living there–it would be like living in a volcano. In fact I had to wonder: does anyone ever worry about this? I know they monitor thermal activity carefully, but nature is full of surprises, and I’d hate to be “surprised.”

The strange combination of Maori relics, steaming vents, suburban homes, and the smell of sulfur was yet another one of those bizarre combinations we’ve found in New Zealand. The air was still and cold, and there wasn’t a person in sight. The only movement was from the steam pouring out of the vents. It was eerie and felt a bit like the aftermath of an apocalypse.

After poking around the historical sights and walking around the neighborhood, we drove over to Kuirau Park, the city park of Rotorua. Now the steaming vents and boiling pools were amid grass and trees, all fenced off for safety. The park was pretty, but like the village, a bit quiet and eerie. –Cyndi

May 24, 2013

Our season in New Zealand was coming to an end, but we did manage to take a day trip to Rotorua. One advantage of being based in Tauranga is having Rotorua, one of the top tourist destinations in New Zealand, only 45 minutes away by car. There’s too much to see and do in Rotorua to cover it all in a day (or for that matter 2 or 3 days), but being nearby we could divide it into a few day-long excursions. Most of those would have to take place next season, but it was nice to squeeze in one visit before we left.

Being the official Legacy tour planner, it was up to me to arrange our day. I had some criteria for picking the 3 or 4 activities out of the 12 things I hoped we’d eventually do. They needed to be entertaining enough that Rich wouldn’t mind returning next year. They needed to be a good introduction to Rotorua itself and give a feeling for the area. We needed to avoid sticker shock by mixing in free things with expensive things (and again ensure Rich would want to return). And I wanted to do at least one or two things that would be new to me as I’d been there before.

So I made my choices: The (moderately priced) Skyline Complex including a wine tasting at Volcanic Hills Winery, Ohinemutu Maori Village and Kuirau Park for lots of (free) steamy volcanic activity, Waimangu Volcanic Valley, one of the big (and expensive) geothermal parks in the area, and if we had enough time, a walk through a redwood forest (pronounceable and free).

We began our Rotorua day with a ride in a Skyline gondola to visit the complex at the top of Mount Ngongotaha (this is not a typo–that’s really how it’s spelled). I love the views riding up mountain lifts like this, and what makes it even better is that there’s actually a winery in the complex at the top. (There’s also a Skyswing and a luge ride down the hill, but I opted for the winery.)

Once we got to the top, we were a bit hungry and noticed that the Skyline restaurant had incredible views and a big lunch buffet. After taking a look, it was an easy decision to spurge a bit and have meal there. We sat at a window-side table and proceeded to pig out on a surprisingly delicious array of international foods. This buffet would have been worth doing even without the view.

After lunch we walked around the complex, checking out fun touristy stuff in the gift shops and discovering that the staff really don’t like it if you photograph the tee shirts with funny sayings. We then headed to Volcanic Hills winery for a tasting. Their beautiful tasting room had huge glass windows overlooking Rotorua, the gondolas, and the lake.

I should mention that they don’t grow the wine grapes here: they’re grown in the south island, famous for its wines. The guy doing the pouring was a funny character who had a bit of a prejudice about Northland wines (the wine and grapes from the north section of the north island), saying it’s like being in the US and buying wine from Texas. We can’t say we agree; we’ve had some amazing wines in Northland. But I will admit Volcanic Hills sauvignon blancs lived up their racy and green reputation: they were fabulous. The chardonnay was also excellent, and they had an incredible port. So OK, maybe Mr. Wine Pourer does have the right to be a bit full of himself about south island wine grapes, but that said I believe they have some serious competition from the chardonnays we enjoyed in Northland.

Above is a gallery of our gondola ride, the restaurant in the Skyline complex, and finally Volcanic Hills winery (no, the kids aren’t tasting wine; they were there with their parents) and the view out one of the winery’s big windows. (As always, click to enlarge and scroll) –Cyndi

May 24, 2013 in Rotorua, New Zealand

You’re probably tired of our (OK, my) whining about the cold but too bad.  It’s cold and getting colder.  Today, we found a new way to warm up…

We went to Rotorua – an area famous for it’s geothermal activity, as well as its Maori culture.  It was the geothermal activity that we needed most today.

We could just sit in the natural sauna…

Or, maybe find a nice, inviting pool…

Like this one with it’s beautiful, blue water.  We settled on this one…

Everything was warm, cozy and just fine until…

Whew, that was a close one!  As you can see, we’re still managing to have a great time in New Zealand while waiting for that magical, elusive weather window. -Rich