Rotorua -Craters of the Moon & Wai-O-Tapu
1/27/09
This morning we enjoyed an excellent breakfast of berry pancakes and fruit salad at JJ's on the water. We then headed to Rotorua to see the thermal activity there.
On the way we stopped at a place called Craters of the Moon. It was our first taste of thermal activity as we walked through areas of bubbling and gurgling mud and steam rising from the ground all around us!
Once we made it to Rotorua we stopped for a bite to eat a the cutest and VERY delicious Thai restaurant...
We then promptly headed to the Geothermal Wonderland of Wai-O-Tapu, which was hot and stinky (like Sulfur)...there was so much hot sulfuric gas coming from the earth that it singed and discolored nearby plant life!
There were gurgling mud baths that spit hot mud up into the air...
There were tar pits and a place the Devil himself call's Home...
There was a lake that looked like toxic waste...
Signs for unstable ground...and craters filled with funny colored water
There was a multi-colored hot spring lake that was so still, it reflected the sky its steam seemed to combine with both the clouds in the sky and those being reflected...
And finally, there was a place called the Artist's Palette...
Afterward our plan was to go Zorbing, but when we got there we were disappointed and decided against it. Originally we thought we would be able to randomly roll down the hills in the clear balls, but instead you had to stay on a track and the hill was really short...and it was kinda pricey :(
So, we vetoed the Zorbing idea and headed to do some gondola riding up the mountain-side and then luging down the mountain - FUN!!! Unfortunately for safety reasons you can't bring your camera so I didn't get any of the fun captured on film.
Finally, we ended up in Hamilton at Liz's friend David's house...the house was amazing and David a congenial and genuine. He took us to a place called Scoff's - Take out for grown-ups! The selection was outstanding and the food was absolutely delicious!!! Not only was the food amazing, but so was David's house...the whole side of his is basically sliding glass doors that open to a huge patio. The house is contemporary, but comfortable and surrounded by woods.
After dinner we didn't stick around much to enjoy the house though...we decided that now that we were back in a "real city" it was time to hit the town!
This morning we enjoyed an excellent breakfast of berry pancakes and fruit salad at JJ's on the water. We then headed to Rotorua to see the thermal activity there.
On the way we stopped at a place called Craters of the Moon. It was our first taste of thermal activity as we walked through areas of bubbling and gurgling mud and steam rising from the ground all around us!
Once we made it to Rotorua we stopped for a bite to eat a the cutest and VERY delicious Thai restaurant...
We then promptly headed to the Geothermal Wonderland of Wai-O-Tapu, which was hot and stinky (like Sulfur)...there was so much hot sulfuric gas coming from the earth that it singed and discolored nearby plant life!
There were gurgling mud baths that spit hot mud up into the air...
There were tar pits and a place the Devil himself call's Home...
There was a lake that looked like toxic waste...
Signs for unstable ground...and craters filled with funny colored water
There was a multi-colored hot spring lake that was so still, it reflected the sky its steam seemed to combine with both the clouds in the sky and those being reflected...
And finally, there was a place called the Artist's Palette...
Afterward our plan was to go Zorbing, but when we got there we were disappointed and decided against it. Originally we thought we would be able to randomly roll down the hills in the clear balls, but instead you had to stay on a track and the hill was really short...and it was kinda pricey :(
So, we vetoed the Zorbing idea and headed to do some gondola riding up the mountain-side and then luging down the mountain - FUN!!! Unfortunately for safety reasons you can't bring your camera so I didn't get any of the fun captured on film.
Finally, we ended up in Hamilton at Liz's friend David's house...the house was amazing and David a congenial and genuine. He took us to a place called Scoff's - Take out for grown-ups! The selection was outstanding and the food was absolutely delicious!!! Not only was the food amazing, but so was David's house...the whole side of his is basically sliding glass doors that open to a huge patio. The house is contemporary, but comfortable and surrounded by woods.
After dinner we didn't stick around much to enjoy the house though...we decided that now that we were back in a "real city" it was time to hit the town!
posted by Tracy @ 8:30 AM
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