One of the best run locations ever- around Kurai park at 7 am with a slight misty rain. The whole park is a patchwork of hot pools from which clouds of steam and gas fill the air, I got to run through a maze of pathways through the trees never knowing if there was going to be bubbling mud around the corner or a fog of steam. Then we all went to Te Puia, a Maori crafts center and thermal wonderland. The kids got to walk on stilts ( I never did get an answer to my question of whether this was a traditional Maori activity?)
Our first kiwi (captive) kept the girls enthralled, a geyser and big plopping mud pools. Highlight though was eating corn and eggs that had been cooked traditionally in a hot pool- the minerals supplying a distinctive flavor. Finally a visit to the Maori school for carving and weaving was interesting enough to keep both Ellie and Lilly entertained. Had to drag them out of the gift shop so we could get back for the next activity. We took a gondola up for a view over lake Rotorua and spent some fun time racing in luges back down the mountain, again and again.