Rotorua, North Island

This area is amazing, not only is it very geothermal with boiling mud and sprouting geysers but it is very rich in Maori culture. We pitched up in Rotorua and headed straight for 'Hells Gate' ... it was named this for obvious reasons, when you pay your admission fee you walk straight out onto walkways surrounded by what you would imagine the surface of Mars to look like!! However, it is the smell of the sulpher that hits you first .... very eggy!

Lots of boiling mud and steaming water, after a wee walk around we headed straight for the option where you get to sit in the mingy, smelly sulpher mud - very good for the skin apparently (we see no change). The only real pleasant thing about this was that it was nice and warm, we really needed this after being in caves the previous day.

The next day we headed for Wai-O-Tapu which is another fascinating geothermal site - this time you're not allowed near or soak in the stinky mud! This site had a spurting geyser which was pretty impressive but our most rewarding part was meeting the Maori. Along with a bunch of other tourists we waited for the traditional Maori tour to begin, one of the tourists had to be appointed 'chief' - obviously only one man for the job....Mike the Chief!

After a challenge then a traditional greeting (touching of the noses twice) Mike was feeling extremely comfortable in his new role - I got a front row seat once inside the Maori hut as I am married to the chief (mikes new nickname he wishes to keep). The Maori tradition and their heritage is so strong .... its great to see and very interesting. Especially when Mikes new task was to learn the Haka - just in case in the future he had to frighten his opponent before going in to battle . . . or to show off to the rugby boys!

We've been managing to cook some impressive meals in our new home - the food and drink is so much cheaper in the supermarkets here than in Tesco/Morrisons - we bought 10 scallops to have for dinner, they were cheaper than our tomatoes!! We definately have more money to spend here than in USA - and luckily the wine is also nice and cheap, so we are well stocked up! Also, we don't believe that they have lots of sheep here, all we have seen is a lot of cows - this is why steaks are cheap as chips in the supermarket - guess what we are going to be eating for dinner?!

The steaming mud and geysers help create a dramatic backdrop to this part of the north island, time to head further south where the scenery justs get better and better!