Wai-O-Tapu, New Zealand

Just a 30 minutes drive south from Rotorua we come to Wai-O-Tapu, New Zealand's mini Yellowstone. After paying a nominal entrance fee at the Visitors Center, we start down the hiking trail towards the thermal features.

Entrance to Wai-O-Tapu

Trail to thermal features

At first, the trail follows a river which seems to be yet another pretty New Zealand stream until we realize it's steaming hot  and even boiling in places

Pretty river

Hey - there's steam rising and

boiling hot water

The trail then skirts alongside several steam vents...

and mud pots.

Looks like these hot mud pots were once a boiling river that's dried up

Next we come to a large colorful hot lake.

Gorgeous colors in this lake

Yikes - it is hot

Champagne bubbles

Steam almost blots us out

The trail then leads up the hill and into the forest...
With views down into the next thermal area

Colorful mud flows

and deposits of sulfur

with a small mineral streaked  lake

The trail then loops back towards the Visitor Center and leads us to the most striking feature of all ... the jello-green Devil's Punch bowl.

Devil's Punch bowl

From there, it's a short walk back to the Visitors Center and a stop at the Geyser Cafe for lunch.
At the Geyser Cafe, we experience a "lost in translation" moment. Since the day is warm, we order milkshakes with our sandwiches. What we get is nothing like we expect. So we ask the young lady making the shakes why they are so thin and without ice cream.  She replies - well you ordered milk shakes and that's what I gave you, flavored shaken milk. From then on when ordering milkshakes, we now ask how they are made. It helps to order them "thick" (with ice cream).

Rotorua, New Zealand

It's only a few hours of driving from Hobbiton to Rotorua. Along the way, we drive through a long tunnel of New Zealand tree ferns and other forest trees.

Green tunnel of ferns and trees

New Zealand tree fern

We arrive early in the afternoon to our next camp at Rotorua Thermal Holiday Park.

Entrance to park

Vans waiting at check-in area

Rotorua comes from a Maori word for the area meaning "second lake" and is situated in the Rotorua Caldera.  Although it's been many thousands of years since the last eruption, the caldera is dotted with active geothermal features, including hot springs, geysers, and steam vents. The city itself mixes the two dominate traditions of Maori and British cultures.  At first we are struck by the British buildings. So much that at times, it feels like we are in England and not New Zealand.

British phone booth

Cricket Club

British style building

However, the Maoris have lived in this area far longer than the British and have a strong presence as well.
These two cultures have combined to make Rotoua into the modern city it is today.
Although the resulting Kiwi culture can be somewhat quirky at times.

Rotorua Arts Village

with a fabric wrapped tree in front.

Rotorua Duck Tours

In town, the main place to see is the Rotorua Museum.This very British building started off as a Bath House and Sanatorium providing mineral springs health treatments before the discovery of antibiotics.

Rotorua Museum

Bath house notice

These mineral waters don't look all that healthy

Much of the museum is devoted to it's origins as a bath house and the British settlers in Rotorua as well as the Maori Te Arawa peoples.

Rotorua is also home to many shops selling New Zealand jade aka greenstone, or Pounamu as the Maoris called these stones. Our favorite store quickly becomes Mountain Jade. Our respective husbands give both Jill and I necklaces by the Maori artist Niki Nepia. Thank you Mark and Peter!

Mark inspects a huge slab of jade

Jill modeling her necklace

Traditional Koru motifs signify renewal

Later that afternoon, we are picked up at the Holiday Park by the wisecracking and thoroughly entertaining Bloke with a Bus who takes us to the Tamaki Experience for an evening of Maori culture, arts and food.

We assemble at the Powhiri area

Before we can enter the village, we are first treated to the Powhiri, the Maori welcoming ceremony. This ceremony is actually a form of vetting process called a wero, by which the villagers inform outsiders they are fierce warriors and you must be on good behavior to be allowed in. During the first part, three separate warriors demonstrate their fierceness and skill with weapons. The first warrior represents the Atua (God) of War and the last Rongo the Atua of Peace.

The warriors all assemble in a final show of force

The head woman appears over the gate

Then the chief leads us into their village under the Tawa trees

The village in located in a 200 year old Tawa tree forest and consists of several carved wooden shelters and a few larger meeting halls. At one of the first shelters, all the men are assembled for a lesson on the Haka, the traditional Maori war dance.

They're a little stiff at first

Loosening up a bit

Looks like they're getting the hang of it

Still these novices have a long way to go before they reach professional status:


Next, it's the women's turn to learn the Poi dance.

Hey - this isn't as easy as

they make it look.

Finally we're getting the hang of the Poi balls

Next, we participate in agility training games and learn about traditional crafts.

A version of musical chairs using staffs

Cloth making with New Zealand flax

Agility foot race

Next we are introduced to the Hangi, the Maori method of preparing a feast by cooking food in a pit with coals and hot rocks (very similar to the preparation of Kailua Pork in an Imu for Hawaiian lu'aus).

Hangi food steams under cover

Time to literally dig in

Looks and smells wonderful

By now our mouths are watering as the food is put on display before dinner.

But before we can eat, we are treated to a stage show of more dances and songs in the meeting house.

Love the ceiling of meeting house

and carvings on the walls

Warrior dance

Women perform the E Papa or stick dance

Ballad about a Maori Romeo and Juliet from warring tribes

Warrior announces it's time to eat

We all enjoy a wonderful dinner of the hangi cooked foods and then all too soon it's time to leave. 

It's certainly been an evening to remember - not only have we learned about Maori culture, but also to better appreciate how Maori traditions have become woven into modern Kiwi culture.

You would make a great meal

oh yeah - you look tasty too.

Homage to the All Blacks

The All Blacks ruby team has adopted the Haka to prepare for and celebrate rugby games.

KIA ORA!