On Monday we decided to take another route back to Auckland, to see some different scenery.  Instead

On Monday we decided to take another route back to Auckland, to see some different scenery.  Instead of following the same route that we took south, we veered a bit northwest and went through Rotorua and Hamilton. Depending on which way the wind is blowing you can smell Rotorua before you see it, courtesy of the hydrogen sulphide emissions (a rotten egg smell) that occur as a result of the geothermal activity in the region.  Geysers and hot mud pools are well known features of the area as well.  The regions biggest industry is tourism.  There weren’t many people milling about the town when we were there though, as it is off-peak for the tourist season, being winter. The geothermal activity of Rotorua is attributed to the Rotorua Caldera, one of several large volcanoes in the area.  The last major eruption of this volcano was 240,000 years ago.  The caldera is now occupied by Lake Rotorua.  The town is known for its spas (and has been since the 1800s), mountain biking, hiking trails, Maori cultural experiences, nearby skydiving, and the street luge track.  I would like to go back and attend a Maori cultural experience, which includes a hangi, and the street luge, which I’m told is quite fun. We were only there for lunch and a bit of a wander though.  We stopped at the Fat Dog Cafe and Bar on Arawa St.  It’s a very popular place, Lil had been there before, and highly recommended it.  I can see why, it’s brightly decorated, has a very large menu, heaps of options for food.  And the food portions themselves are also large. I had the Beer Battered Fish and Chips, which also came with a salad ($26), which I enjoyed. After eating, we went for a walk around the area.  We walked along the waterfront of Lake Rotorua just south of Te Ruapeka Bay, where we spotted two black swans swimming nearby.  There was a sign posted asking people to please not feed them, which they honoured.  They fed the seagulls instead (I can never understand people’s fascination with these noisy, annoying birds). Near the waterfront stood a large waka taua (a Maori war canoe) sitting on a boat trailer in a padlocked shed with gated walls.  I think it was located near Fenton St. and Memorial Dr.  It was an impressive sight.  This waka was named Te Arawa.  It was built in 1989 by one man, a carver, using totara wood from the Te Ngaire forest near Minginui, Ngati Ware.   The kel (rear) section carries two main entities, Tawhirimatea (who controls the elements) dominates the top, and Tumatauenga (the entity of war and confrontation) adorns the base.  The Rauawa (side ribs) are the successive generations that link the iwi with their ancestral origins.  The rhythmical wave-like motion of the figures serves to accentuate the visual movement of the craft.  The Tauihu (figurehead) features eight figures that represent Nga Pumanawa o Te Arawa, or the eight pulsating hears of Te Arawa.  These figures symbolise the major Hapu or sub-tribes that comprise the larger group.   The waka is some 20m long and weighs approximately 2.5 tons.  The hull is three separate sections bound together.  It was constructed by hand using old time techniques and tools whenever possible. Near the (presumably new) Rotorua Convention Centre sits a Maori sculpture in a roundabout.   Just because, I included a photo of the Rotorua Citizen’s Club.  On the exterior of the building the club advertised the many games that members could play inside.  One of the games was euchre.  I was itching for a game so bad that I nearly went inside to see if I could arrange to play.  Sadly, the club appears to only be open to ages 55 and up.  Besides, we had to get underway.   -- source link
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