Day 7 mid afternoon – for the first time we would be pitched up for two nights – music to my tired ears! Here at the top 10 holiday club we were spoilt for tip top washing facilities, spotlessly clean. As a bonus a launderette was on site – my first task before we made the most of two mineral pools a few short steps away.
Day 8 – Rotorua is mainly on the flat, cycling would be our mode of transport…..Well it would if we could unlock the bikes from the rack attached to Aromoana! After half hour of trying, the combination lock was not budging and steam was rising from the long-sufferings ears. Luckily a helpful site man with bolt cutters came to our rescue.
Disaster averted, we set off to buy a new lock. After days of hardly seeing another car, Rotorua was a sharp shock back to reality, all hustle bustle and cars coming from all directions as we toured the long straight streets that criss crossed grid like typically American filled with wall to wall shops.
Lock purchased, we could finally head for our destination Te Puia to marvel at the geothermal pools and geysers – we had a free taste of what was to come yesterday evening at the local park a three minute walk from our pitch. With all the geothermal activity going on in Rotorua there is no getting away from the rotten egg smell of the sulphur pervading the senses!
Mud pools – gloop gloop like a saucepan of boiling water within the cracked earth, or gloop gloop gloop the sound of a motorboat chugging through the sea. Fascinating to watch trying to predict where the gloop will surface next.
Pohutu Geyser – bubbling beneath the surface, steam rising, thicker and thicker, building, building, suddenly, boiling water spurting, slow at first then, pulsing higher, higher to its climax – up to 30 metres – and then slowly slowly it becomes just a gentle bubbling beneath the surface once more.
Early evening bike ride to Government House Gardens
And Gardeners cottage nearby
And so to bed … long drive tomorrow….
The Creative Muse 