We really liked Rotorua. It wasn't a long drive from Jane's in the morning so we had nearly a full day. Our first stop was Te Puia which was a centre surrounded by geothermal pools, geysers and mud pools. They were also a school which focused on teaching the Maori traditions and culture to special individuals from around the country. We had a guided tour and got to see the world famous Pohutu geyser erupt - it has been known to reach 100ft! The only thing was the smell... Sulphur... Rotten eggs... It resonated throughout the entire town. Not always that strongly, but I'm not sure if you could get used to it! After some lunch we dropped our bags off at the hotel (got a free upgrade too!) before going to the Polynesian Spa for an afternoon of relaxation. The spa had it mineral pools which overlooked Lake Rotorua, which was beautiful. After soaking and unwinding in the pools I had a Rotorua mud massage which was heavenly. Much needed! I could have quite easily had several more therapies, but that would have been greedy. We had a lovely dinner at an old converted police station, now pub before getting some rest in our upgraded suite, oo fancy!

On our way to our next stop the following morning we stopped off at Wai-O-Tapu described as a thermal wonderland, and that was pretty accurate. We watched the Lady Knox Geyser eruption which wasn't quite as spectacular as the one the day before, but the pools were spectacular. They were all different colours, from blues to greens to yellows and even orange tones. The best one was a fluorescent lime green pool which looked so unnatural the colour was that psychedelic. We had a lovely hour or so walk around this volcanic area taking in the beauty and in awe of the power of Mother Nature.