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5 Stars - 489 Opinions
Rotorua - mud pool
Guardian Angel watching over a grave
Cemetery
Boiling Mud Pool
While I was 'out of action' my husband took a bit of time out to have some fun - Huka Jet boat.
Very fast, quite extreme, and he loved it a lot, though driving straight at a sheer cliff and veering off at the very last moment wouldn't be my cup of tea...he's lucky he only lost his hat (I would have lost my lunch LOL)
New Zealand of course is famous for its extreme sports.
I met this girl in Taupo and she told me about this thing called the Zorb. Her friend had made a trip to New Zealand the year before and found it, then gave her the information and the money to do it. Needless too say that when I hear what it was I was on my way to the rental car company in Taupo. Five of us rented a car and drove up to see and take part in The Zorb! It is one of the best memories from my trip to New Zealand. I highly recommend it!
…or Whakarewarewa… or Whaka is one the most visited thermal areas in Rotorua. It is still a living Maori village in the middle of hot water pools, bubbling mud and mineral springs.
After paying the entrance fee we entered the village through an archway and could join a guided tour (or stroll alone) along the several points of interest.
The first thing we saw, was an area with some hot pools, used by the Maori people as kitchen, bathroom and laundry. This is where the ‘hangi meals’ are cooked on a natural way.
We strolled through the village with some shops and a café and followed the tracks along bubbling mud pools, a hot thermal lake, thermal springs or spurting geysers.
From several lookouts we enjoyed the views over this impressive geothermal scenery.
On the way to the lookout for the geysers we passed the cemetery of ‘Whaka’ with its graves, which are placed above the earth, because it is too hot to do it on a traditional way.
Twice a day (11.15 am and 2 pm) there are performances of Maori dancers and singers, including the 'poi dance'. They were hold in front of the Marae (meeting house) or in the special performance venue.
To be honest: ‘Whaka’ was one of the first thermal areas we ever saw and we were rather impressed, but now having visited more of these reserves we have to admit this place is more or less a little bit too touristy/commercial.
As part of the Maori hangi and concert, we were given the opportunity to purchase tickets to the Realm of Tane. At the time, I wasn't really sure what I was signing up for. It turned out to be a seperate performance that we attended earlier in the day. An interactive story in which a grandmother is passing down the culture/stories of her childhood to her grandaughter. Part guided tour, character theater, and story telling. My friend and I were the only one in attendance which seemed a little odd at first, but the cast did a great job of performing, and it was very touching. We really felt like we had attended something special as we lef the theater.
This beautiful old building was originally built as a government owned bath-house for tourists in the days when spas were fashionable. It today houses the Rotorua Museum and is surrounded by Government Gardens.
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Address: 1191 Pukaki Street, Rotorua, 3010, New Zealand
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