Rotorua

Try as we might the grey weather has continued to overcome us. Two days ago, the masseuse, Lisa, had said Rotorua had officially been classified, for the first time in 100 years, as drought status. And now it won't stop raining!

Not to worry, we tried to keep going, starting the day at Budget Rentals where the mechanic, a griselled looking Kiwi, cleared all the stones from our suspension - the clonking was nothing to worry about.


First activity of the day was Te Puia, a geyser and mudpool haven whose full name means 'The gathering place of the war parties of Wahiao'. It would have been better dry but even in spite of the stink the brief culture and history of the Maori people we were told made us both want to know more - the depictions of their 13 gods were never realistic, as a way of ensuring the gods were the only ones who could create perfection - so much we don't know!

The mud pools, interestingly, came to life only once it began to rain, and Kiwi's are nocturnal - bizzare, long-nosed snuffling, flightless birds the size of a football - we weren't allowed to take any photos.

Rain cut our visit short so we moved on to the Skyline Gondolas that travel up the side of Mt. Ngonogotaha, but again it was too wet, and the clouds too low. There was nothing to see. So we finished the day at the Piolynesian Spa, with its 3 Acidic and 3 Alkaline pools, all of which were too bloody hot to endure for longer than an hour even if the lake-side setting was unique (a cloudless view would have been nice).

Tomorrow looks wet too but unlike today I won't be sharing a communal shower with a coach load of naked men....nothing to write home about!