Hey everyone

Today we went to Rotorua.

We were up and out of the hostel early, to begin our trip to Rotorua, home of a lot of thermal activity such as boiling mud pools, geysers and hot springs. On the way to Rotorua we stopped off at Karangahake Scenic Reserve, where we crossed two long swings to explore the bush-clad gorge. It had once been home to a gold mine, and we walked along the railway tracks and along the pitch black tunnels in the hillside.

A little while later we drove threw Paeroa, a little town famous for being the original home of the drink L&P, Lemon and Paeroa. We bought a bottle, and though initially we thought it tasted like cheap lemonade, the taste grew on us.

We then stopped for lunch at Matamata, which was where they filmed Hobbiton in Lord of the Rings. Almost nothing is actually left of the Bag End set, as Peter Jackson took everything to create a guest house fit for Bilbo (and any very lucky guests) next to his home. There was, however, a big Hobbiton sign complete with a statue of Gollum, which we had our photo taken next to.

We arrived in Rotorua mid afternoon and went straight to the Thermal Park. Because of the geothermal system underneath Rotorua, steam comes from the drains in the road, many people have geothermally heated pools in their garden, and the whole place seriously stinks of sulphur. We arrived at the park just in time to catch the beginning of the guided tour, and watched how traditional Maori clothing is made. We then had an explore of the park and saw several boiling mud pools along with an active geyser. It was rapidly shooting hot water and steam several metres into the air, and it was strange to think that it was natural and the water was coming from deep within the Earth. As we walked around the huge geyser we got caught in the huge spray we created, and just hoped our clothes wouldn't smell of sulphur 'too' much.

We continued our look around the park and went into the Kiwi house to try and spot a kiwi (the animal, not the fruit or the person). It was almost pitch black and we had to be silent, but the kiwi still kept itself hidden from us. After a little wait, it finally came near the glass and we were able to see it, as it burrowed its long beak into the ground to get some food.

After the thermal park we headed to the hostel and waited in excitement for 6pm to come, as we had decided to go to a Maori concert and hangi that evening (hangi = feast). We put on our warm coats and a minibus took us to a makeshift traditional Maori village. One person on our bus had to be selected as the chief of our tribe, and they would play the important role of greeting the Maori tribe at the beginning of the evening. This role went to a guy called Dan, who's on our Kiwi bus.

Upon arrival, we stood at the entrance to the village in apprehension of the famous ceremonial greeting - we were told absolutely no smiling or laughing during the greeting was allowed. Maori people slowly emerged from the trees, darting about and making very strange noises. They wielded spears, and danced and chanted in front us. There was a 'chief' from each coach standing at the front of the audience, and one would be selected to come forward into the village first. One Maori warrior came really close to hitting the chiefs as he spun his spear wildly just inches in front of them. Finally, they selected the chief to lead the way, and our Dan was chosen. Well done Dan.

We then entered the village and had some time to go around and see the different roles people played in a typical Maori iwi (tribe). We were shown how they prepared and stored food, and watched a warrior show us some fighting moves. It was then time for the concert. We took our seats in a theatre, and were treated to several traditional Maori dances, songs, stories, and war chants (including the famous Haka).

After the performance, it was dinner time (or hangi time). The food had been cooked using traditional maori methods, such as being steamed in a huge hot stone pit.

There was a massive selection of food, from a range of meats and seafood to sweet potato (or kumara as it's called here). We ate lots of meat as we rarely cook it ourselves, and because it tasted so good. Christina had some mussels, far from the usual 'pasta and pesto' meals we have. The bread was unusual but nice - it was quite sweet and kind of like thick, heavy cake. For dessert, we ate so much of the huge pavlovas we thought we were going to burst. There was also fruit salad, warm ginger cake and custard, but we're not the type of people to have multiple desserts...

After dinner we went outside briefly to watch an explanation of the cooking method, and then we went back to our tables for another cup of tea and to chat to the others on our table. Before leaving we were treated to another Haka dance, performed by the dancers, who strangely doubled as kitchen staff and waiters. There was a nice speech about the roots and humble beginnings of the evening experience, then it was time to head back to the hostel. On the way back, the bus driver got us singing songs and taught us some amusing lyrics to 'The Wheels On The Bus', complete with actions, including driving round a roundabout several times, only stopping when a police car went by. What a day! Xxx