Rotorua and Auckland

Days 119 and 120

After only a short bus journey we arrived in Rotorua. We still had most of the day remaining so we went to Lake Rotorua which is very different to Taupo as it is situated on a geothermal hot spot. The lake is full of bubbling sulphur pools with steam rising from the surface. We booked a tour of Hell's gate for the next day along with a Maori cultural evening, which we'd heard was good.

Hell's gate was the most active geothermal park in the area and our tourguide took us past 100+ degree sulphur pools bubbling black, yellow and white. The ground was also stained yellow by the sulphur. Hell's gate was famous for three different kinds of mud. White mud was thick/solid when you picked it up but changed to liquid when you rubbed it into your hands. Black mud was used in heat pads by the local hospital as once heated it kept its heat for 3 hours. The grey mud was thick and smooth and as we had opted for the mud bath, this is what we would be getting into. The mud bath was quite fun although it was followed by an ice cold shower, which I didn't enjoy as much. From the mud bath we then went into a warm sulphur pool that although relaxing smelt like rotting eggs! That night after a few showers to get rid of the Sulphur smell, we went to Mitai Maori village. The evening started with the host saying hello in 32 languages before taking the group down to a small river formed from a underground spring. The water was so clear that if there weren't fish swimming around you would never had believed there was water in there. We watched as a Maori canoe complete we eight fully kitted out Maori warriors paddled past chanting the war songs. Next up was a demonstration of Maori weapons and village life before a performance of the famous Haka. Dinner comprised of Hangi (Undergroud BBQ) lamb, chicken and sweet potato, it was fantastically good. The night finshed with a bush walk through some of NZ last remaining primary forest, and there was also an oportunity to see glowworms. The day was a great end to our time in New Zealand, and we were sad to be leaving.

We took a bus the next morning back to Auckland where we spent our last night in the airport skyway lodge before flying out to Fiji the following day. As a whole we would both definitely say that NZ has been our favourite country so far.