You Really Got a Hold On Me, Part 2 of NZ Trip

   Rotarua was a lot of fun. As I mentioned in the previous post, it's rather touristy. It's known for its geothermal activity (geysers, mud pools, hot thermal springs) and does have the nickname "Sulphur City." Unfortunately, we didn't get to see a lot of that activity, or take in much of the Maori culture, so I guess we'll just have to go back another time.
   On our first full day in Rotarua, we took a gondola ride to the top of Mt. Ngongotah.

Fabulous views of the city and lake

Can we ride the luge now? Can we?

We didn't take the gondola ride for the scenery. We simply wanted to get to the luge courses. There were three routes: scenic, intermediate, and advanced. We all started out on the scenic one which was about 2 kilometers (1.2 miles) long. You can control the steering and the brakes, and the tracks were wide enough to pass, or go side-by-side. 

Aliya and Mom, side by side

Scenic route

   The intermediate course was a bit shorter but with a tunnel and great views.

Intermediate course

Riding the chairlift back to the top

Riding up to the top with the luge sleds

   To keep ourselves entertained, we had fun trying to spot items down on the ground that had been dropped from the chairlift. We saw two helmets, two thongs (flip flops, not underwear!), tickets, and a piece of toast!

Didn't fall from the chairlift, but still cute

   We rode five times each, varying the courses. The advanced was really fast, and really fun. The minimum age was ten and we figured Alanna was taller than most ten-year-olds, so Alanna got to ride.

Family photo

   "Worn out" from all that hard work, we headed for some relaxation at the Polynesian Spa. We purchased a pass for the family pools, and enjoyed some fun swimming and soaking in toasty warm waters. 

   The next day we packed up to leave Rotarua. But we couldn't leave without another visit to Blue Lake. While Andy rented three kayaks, the girls jumped in the lake.

Girls swimming behind our campervan

Can they make it to the swim platform?

Yes! Years of swim lessons paid off. 

Playing around in the kayaks

Warming up in the back of the motor home. Nice view, eh?

   We had a bit of a drive, so we decided to take a break along the way.  

While the falls themselves weren't overly impressive, they were set in a beautiful forest with lush green ferns everywhere. One set of falls claims to be the highest commercially rafted waterfall in the world, at seven meters high. We did see two kayakers go over the falls. Alas no one did it in a barrel (ala Niagra Falls.)

 

 Down to the right are caves that native women and children hid in during times of war. Nowadays only bats and glowworms hide out there. 

Another boring fabulous view

 We picked our next destination and camping spot strictly by the name. Can you blame us?

    At low tide, plus or minus about two hours, you can dig into the sand to reach the very hot water that lies underneath, to create your own personal hot tub. Shops do good business renting spades and buckets.

Hot water here? Nope

Hot water here? Yep!

After a while the girls decided to cool off.

 

 Too bad we didn't see this sign first:

Apparently it's a bad area to swim. Lesson learned.


One more NZ post left to go! Then I can blog about Wilson's Prom, the first day of school, etc.