The sights and smells of Rotorua

3 - 5 May

You can't visit Rotorua without going to the geothermal hot pools.  There are number of different ones to choose from but we went with Hells Gate.  Now for those of you who don't know, Rotorua is famous for being a bit...smelly.  It's often described as smelling like rotten eggs.  Unfortunately for Sven (Belgium) he didn't know this, so received a bit of a shock as he got off the bus!  5 of the bus (me, Terry, Hannah, Callum and Sven) decided to hop off and explore the pools.  It looked like something that belonged in Mars.  Bubbling mud everywhere, steam rising from the ground and a rocky grey clay-like ground before walking through a stretch of forest.  Not something you expect to see. After the walk, we headed to the baths beginning with the mud pools and ending with the hot pool.  For once, I felt relaxed.  

In the afternoon, it was time to jump off the bus in Rotorua to stay with some family friends of my Gran's (Yetsenga family who are the daughter/son in law of Gail & John Ross otherwise known as Kirsten and Bart).  After a little hiccup with finding each other, eventually Anna (Kirsten sister) and I found each other.  After lunch we all took a walk in Redwoods before coming back home to make homemade pizza.  It's amazing what a cosy home and creature comforts can do!

The next morning we voted to go on a walk around Lake Terrawera where I taught Lewis a little about photography.  We stopped off to look at the Green and Blue lakes before pulling in at the hot water baths in Wai-o-Tapu and the relaxing thermal pools in Waikite.  Tom even joined Anna and myself for a dip in the hottest one!  Not sure I would've been so brave at his age but kudos to him. In the evening, Tom and I got to enjoy a sleepover in his room as a treat before he started back at school the next day.

On the morning of my departure, Anna kindly took me on a short photo drive-by of the Government Gardens and a local Marai followed by coffee in a famous kiwi store.  What can I say other than thank you and I'm so grateful I got to spend time with such a lovely warm and kind family.  It's was unfortunate that I didn't get to meet Kirsten but I'm hopeful that we'll all meet again someday, perhaps in Glasgow next time.

Next stop: Lake Aniwhenua