We found a great spot at a boat launch on the shores of Lake Rotorua, and we ended up camping there for three days. Our first full day, we checked out the town, and took a deep breath full of...hydrogen sulphide. Rotorua is a town smack dab in the middle of the active volcanic zone that runs through New Zealand. Along the roads and in people's back yards, thermal vents release hydrogen sulphide in plumes of white gas. The locals are accustomed to the smell, but man, we found it pretty bad at times.

After exploring the town, we headed off for the Rotorua museum. We learned about the eruption of Mount Tarawera in 1886 that buried a village, killed many people, and destroyed the pink and white terraces, sinter formations that were considered by many to be the 8th natural wonder of the world.

We also learned about the Maori company in WWII that fought with unbelievable bravery, and finally we spent time touring the museum, which was formerly a spa used to treat rheumatic and other conditions with the volcanic muds and mineral waters from the area. It was a surprisingly good museum, and it got us much more interested in Rotorua than we thought it would, since some locals call it Roto-Vegas or even Rotten-rua.

After the musem, we relaxed a bit and went to a replica Maori village for a haka (war dance) and hangi (feast). While it was really, really touristy, we just gave in to it for what it was and ended up enjoying it.

They greeted us at the village, where "chiefs" we nominated on our bus represented us as the traditional greeting. We then toured the village and asked questions of the Maoris, who were really interested in teaching us about their culture. We then attended a very good performance that demonstrated traditional weaponry and fighting techniques, song, and dance. Finally, we ended with a feast of lamb and chicken cooked in underground pits. I was surprised how oogie it felt to be so touristy, but in the same vein, it ended up being a pretty enjoyable night.

Our next day in Rotorua, we went swimming at the local Aquacenter, with pools heated by the natural thermal springs below. We then took off for Waiotapu, a local park filled with geothermal activity. With geysers, bubbling mud pools, sulphur formations, volcanic craters, and enormous sinter terraces, the park was a fascinating display. We hiked through the park and really enjoyed the spectacles.

After learning about the 1886 eruption and seeing Waiotapu, we decided to stay in Rotorua one more day and see the Buried Village, a partially excavated site reminiscent of Pompei. Our guide at the museum was an ancestor of one of the chiefs from the Buried Village, Te Wairoa, that survived. He was really animated and helped fill in the final gaps of our understanding of the area.

We had to cut our time short at the museum, sadly, as we needed to return our camper van to Auckland. So, just after noon around 10 km outside of Rotorua, we took off for our final leg of the trip in Auckland.