6th -> 9th September (Rotorua)

I was expecting the sulphur/egg smell to be stronger, if I'm honest, but it did hit you in waves. Sometimes it did become a bit over powering. The sulphur smell in the town is due to volcanic activity below ground. The surrounding area is full of hot springs, boiling mud and volcanoes. When we arrived we wanted a hostel with character. We saw a Base (eurgh) and moved on. A YHA, and moved on. Then we saw Cactus Jack's. I've attached a few photos for you to get an idea of what it was like. It prided itself on being "the only themed hostel in Rotorua". It was the only themed hostel I'd come across at all. But great fun, and full of the most prolific lay-abouts I've ever come across. They would spend everyday sitting outside in "The Bank" chatting, eating and smoking. Good fun to chat to though.



Once we'd settled in Rob and I met Gill and the three of us stuck together during my time in Rotorua. The first thing we did was white water rafting :D It totally rocked, but wasn't as scary as I though. I ended up jumping in on purpose for the fun of it. Our rapids took us over the biggest commercial drop in the world: a seven metre water fall. All the way down I was hoping we'd flip the raft but alas, we made a safe landing. The next day was a trip to 'Hell's Gate' so called because some author some time visited it and named it after some book he wrote. But enough trivia, it was basically a big collection of boiling mud-pits. Some hotter than others, some deadlier than others. One of the hot pools came quite close to the walkway so, being a man, I decided to touch it. Rob told me it was supposed to be 96 degrees C, and they're not lying. Same temperature as the stuff coming out of your freshly boiled kettle. It was really impressive stuff. There was even a mud spa for the women (and couples) to get pampered, and a free bit where you could dangle your feet in a tepid mud pool. I didn't really get what all the fuss was about with the healthy exfoliating water but I did enjoy playing with the mud.

That evening was a highlight for me. We went on a Maori experience with the Kamate tribe who lived just outside of Rotorua. Obviously they now lived the modern way with modern jobs, but they still keep to ancient traditions and have created a replica village for the experience. All of the traditions, practices, formalities and pass times of the Mauri were displayed and explained, and some of them you could join in with. After the greeting ceremony (which incorporated a display similar to the Haka) we were given a while to explore the village and experience some Maori traditions. I joined in with a game involving sticks and agility (I won, go me) and a training exercise for warriors. We were then given a music and dance performance in what would be their town hall, followed by a Hangi, a traditional meal cooked in the traditional way. It was a really good experience and would recommend it to anyone. I was amazed that the men and women still practiced the tradition of facial tattoos. I can just imagine the chief being a lawyer, turning up to court in a suit with his face covered in tattoos.

The next day we took a trip to Paradise valley springs to feed some trout and see some wildlife, which included a pack of lions strangely enough. It was a bit of a random day but fun none the less. Cactus Jack's had a free pool table, so we spent most evening playing pool with some drinks followed by a visit to the bars. There weren't many, but enough to have a decent night out. By this point I was running out of time. I had a week before I had to fly out, so I booked a bus to Auckland and bid Rob and Gill farewell.