A day out today, first stop Blue Springs, a natural spring, the water from which has a high optical purity which is why it looks blue & is so clear. It was clear, but perhaps because it was a dull day it didn't look too blue! The water has a temperature of 11oC all year round, and it takes 50-100 years to trickle down from the mountains (yet it can fill a 25m pool in 12 minutes)

I then headed off to Rotorua. As I drove into the town I went past a park & could see steam rising up. I turned round & went to check it out. It was kuirau park - a normal park but with lots of bubbling thermal mud pools - they didn't look v appealing to sit in, in fact they looked quite toxic, but they did have a couple of foot pool which were clean & you could dip your toes in the water!

I wasn't sure what to do next so went in search of the lake. I decided to start at the government gardens, which was some parkland on the bank of the lake. There were rose trees, fountains, a bowling green, croquet lawn, mini golf and a beautiful mock Tudor hotel next to the ugliest looking conference centre! As soon as I got out of the car the smell of sulphur (or rotten eggs) hit me! Ming!

I walked round the gardens until I got to the lake. It was milky white (due to the minerals in the water & their reaction to the atmosphere) & there were thermal mists coming off it. Despite its toxins look & smell there were so many birds swarming around!

I had planned a scenic drive through the forests, round the lakes & waterfalls, but how many more forests, lakes & waterfalls do I need to see? So instead I decided to treat myself to the Polynesian spa, a lakeside spa with outdoor geo thermal pools. They ranged from 36-42oC - the hotter one actually felt too hot! The water came from the natural springs & is meant to be good for you too

After the spa I still had around an hour of daylight so I went in search of the Rainbow Mountain Scenic Reserve to view Crater Lake.

The sat nav sent me up a very bumpy road (don't tell the hire car company - it almost qualified as 'off road' it was so bad) and led me to Kerosene creek. After a short walk I came across a small pool where people were sat enjoying the natural spa - if I'd found it earlier I could have saved myself the entry fee to the spa!

But it wasn't the lake I was looking for, and neither was the one down the bottom of the road - though it was another thermal lake but wasn't as murky looking as lake Rotorua. It looked nice with the steam rising from it & the birds swarming be round

I eventually found the car park for the Rainbow Mountain Scenic Reserve and after a short walk through the trees found Crater Lake - a bright turquoise lake. There was a longer walk which gives better views but it was getting dark & so was time to head home