Woke to an overcast gloomy morning. Can't get over how well set up these holiday parks are here in NZ! Great amenities - so good for families. After cook up brekkie headed back down to beautiful lake for coffee and to decide on the days itinerary. After discussion with lady at I-site, we drove around edge of the lake for a while to catch some views - managed to see couple of young Kiwi boys who had caught a rainbow trout. Good size too!
Grabbed a few bits for lunch in town then drove out to Huka Falls. Wow! The volume and power of that water is phenomenal! Apparently enough to fill five Olympic pools per minute! We were so fortunate to see one of the jetboats appear and take a few turns! Awesome!Took advantage of as many viewing spots as possible.
We stopped only a few more kilometres up the road at Crater of the Moon - a geothermal walkway with elevated viewing platforms. Our first introduction this trip to thermal activity including bubbling craters, steam vents, colourful soils and mud pools. Shame we were caught in the rain part way through but
was fascinating regardless. We called in
at Wairakei Terraces & Thermal
health spa on way north to Rotorua - was very tempted but decided to explore my friend Alice's suggestion of the Waikite Valley thermal
Pools ...much closer to Rotorua.
Certainly didn't disappoint (thanks Alice!) Thoroughly enjoyed some
relaxation in the various pools and tubs - very pleasant! And the short walk to view the spring that helps to source the area was fascinating!
Only a few more back roads on our loop to Rotorua - a significant sized "city" with a population of about 52,000. Selected one of the many holiday parks on the outskirts of the centre of town virtually right on Lake Rotorua with thermal activity all around us... Quite bizarre really!
We had to wait for a guy from Britz to come out and check out an issue with our power. All sorted - so off into town and found Eat Street - a semi enclosed street area with bars and restaurants on both sides. Enjoyed a drink and some pizza and salad before getting back to "camp" for the night...