Exploring Rotorua

While Jeff was napping this afternoon... so stole away to explore a bit and headed for the lakeside, etc.

The first stop was Government Gardens, the home of the Rotorua Museum, the recently-restored Blue Baths, and the city's best lawn bowling greens. Today people were bowling in their traditional whites. One of the thermal vents in the Gardens is an ancient Maori burial site. It is still considered tapu (sacred). Warriors' bodies were tossed into the deep vent to keep them from falling into enemy hands.

Lake Rotorua itself is a thermal wonder. The entire south end of the lake is a milky, yellow-green because of all the sulphur in it. Steam vents and boiling pools line the edges. Even when you can't see the boiling water in the holes, you can hear it gurgling and gushing around. Just be careful of the gulls... they did a bit of dive bombing today... thought at least one was going to take out my head.