Well, we've been in Rotorua for 3 days and we're glad to be leaving this morning as it really doesn't smell very nice!! To be quite frank: it smells like rotten eggs!! I really don't know how anyone could live here...the locals tell me that you get used to it, but I'm not convinced!!
Have had a fantastic few days of adventure.....Our first stop on the day we arrived was Skyline Skyrides; a fantastic place where you go up the mountain in a gondola and you come down on a luge. Now a luge is a bit like an overgrown tea tray, with handles to steer and a non-sophisticated braking system. Very good fun!! Especially in the rain. (Yes, it's still raining: a bit like being back in the UK!!)
On Tuesday morning we visited Waiotapu Thermal Park: this place had some stunning scenery (the place to see all the geothermal activity that NZ has to offer!!)
Tuesday afternoon saw us have some real adventure!! We went to Agrodome where you can do all sorts of weird and wonderful things, and today I did a thing called Swoop with Dan and Cam . There was an elastic rope which winched us up 40 metres in the air and then let us go. We were in sort of hang glider pouches...very scary... a cross between a bungy jump and a pirate ship. Supposed to be a 'flying experience'. I'm now ok with the fact that I don't have wings!!!
We also had a go at 'Zorbing' this afternoon....where you roll down a hill in a big rubber ball!!
An hour or so drive away yesterday morning took us to our next lot of thermal activity in the form of an area called 'Craters of the Moon' - it resembled the film set for Jurassic Park really and was quite spooky!! Yesterday afternoon we went to Huka Falls on a fantastic Huka Jet Boat. The ride lasted 30 minutes and was absolutely amazing !! The boat went about 50mph and weaved in and out, going very close to the edge of the cliffs, almost touching trees and doing fab 360 degree turns. We saw the waterfall half way thro the ride which was quite impressive and the water was a lovely green colour. The river views were stunning, and it was a fantastic ride. Our evening entertainment took us on a Maori night. We were greeted by warriors arriving by kayak and treated to a Maori show of dancing and Haka. A Hangi feast followed...Hangi means it has been cooked slowly underground for hours in the thermal heat so the meat and veg end up really tasty and tender. The Maori dancing was fascinating with lots of strange faces and tongues poking out! We were then taken on a walk through some of the bush area to see the glowworms around a spring. Very cold outside but a fun evening and a real insight into a very different culture.
Today is Kev's 38th birthday, and we're driving down to Wellington. We'll be going out to dinner tonight to celebrate.
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