We moved on to the Geo Thermal region of New Zealand. To be fair most of New Zealand has Geo thermal activity, but no where is that more evident than Taupo and Rotorura, so this is where we hung out for a few days.
Taupo has a lakeside charm, nestled as it is on the edge of Lake Taupo.
We visited the Craters of the Moon park, so named, because the thermal pot holes, created when the dam was built many years ago, which made the landscape look like the face of the moon. This is less evident now that the vegetation has grown around it, but the thermal hot spots are quite something to see.
The other thing we had to try was the thermal pools, so we went to the Wairakei terraces, which is a man made thermal pool complex. You cannot get an idea of how hot it is from the pictures, but the top pool was 42c, which on a hot day feels like a very hot bath indeed.
On the way to Rotorura we visited the Lava Glass Studio which has a beautiful glass sculpture garden. There was also a classic car gathering, which certainly got Joy excited.
Kiwi’s are creative with their signs and this extends to their road signs. This one in Taupo made us smile, instructing drivers to merge in an orderly fashion.
Rotorura is about 50 miles north of Taupo, based around a much smaller lake, but with a deeper concentration of geo thermal activity. This is obvious as soon as you arrive, since the whole town smells like rotten eggs. Everywhere you see vents releasing steam and Rotorura not only has a weather monitor, but also a migrane monitor, based on how concentrated the Sulphur dioxide is in the environment. This changes according to air pressure, rain fall and heat. Thankfully the Migranes are not compulsory.
We visited Te Puia Springs, where we learned about Maori culture and witness the famous Póhutu geyser. This is apparently the largest geyser in the Southern Hemisphere, which erupts about twice an hour. We got quite a display whilst were there.
The highlight of our time in Rotorura was not the thermal parks, although impressive, but a walk among the majestic redwoods. A specially designed series of walkways allowed you to view them and experience them from a good height. It was a great experience, really testing our balancing skills as well as enjoying a unique perspective amongst such wonderful trees.
Little Man also made a friend whilst we were travelling around. Her name is Issy and she travelled from California. S
o just to be clear (Kay) no prizes for guessing where little man is this time.
The Nomad Adviser 