Blarneys Rock Backpackers Rotorua

... or two. We soon heading back to Marcel and got back on the road heading for our stop for the night of Rotorua. It didn't take that long to drive inland and we could soon smell the lovely aroma of sulphur as we were driving along. This region has a very big Geothermal thing going on and there for stinks of Sulphur. We drove along side the big lake but didn't stop as it was grey and overcast and did make for a good photo. We eventually found our digs for the night and after a good ...

... call in the local Woolworths to see what they had. Just a food supermarket it turns out, but we stocked up with supplies for the journey there anyway. Weather was really beautiful when we said goodbye to Paihia and I was sad to leave. The return journey to Auckland via Highway 1 was a little less easy than the journey up on Saturday. Firstly the road menders had come out to play and we must have gone through at least 20 sets of roadworks in 3 hours. They very rarely stopped the ...

... of our must-do in NZ! We checked the Ratapu caves, which are a natural cave with a pool of jade green water. The water is said to have magic powers: you need to put your left hand in it and make a wish. It can also clean jewelery. We finished by looking at some of the mud pools. They look very attractive for a spa!!



10.06.09: We went to Wai-O-Tapu, the thermal wonderland. The whole place, even the town of Rotorua smells of rotten egg because of the ...

... the park and saw the water and mud bubbling, it was lovely and warm! Our first evening in Rotorua we went to a traditional Maori (pronounced 'Mauldy') evening of entertainment and food. We were greeted byt he Maori tribe who were dressed in traditionally made clothes and had various parts of their body tattooed with patterns. They performed a Haka (like the All Blacks do before evry rugby match) which was quite intense and fascinating to watch ...

... our stops on the way to Rotorua was a town now called Hobbiton because it's where the Lord of the Rings movies were filmed. We posed in front of the sign and Smeigal statue because it's more or less compulsory. But it was a strange situation because the middle of town is more or less a shopping mall. Thoughts on American culture: These last several days have been really weird because I have met one other American ...

... the left of the river. After being warned of the dangers of the largest waterfall people were given the option to get out the raft now and stop or to continue and go down. No guarantees could be made you wouldnt fall out or get hurt. We stayed on as did the rest of our raft and surprise surprise we were first to go down.

We dont remember all that much about it but we experienced the best surf ever so our guide said. We got stuck at ...

... made it to the bus stop. I had a ticket and everything, but I was a bit early for the bus so I got dropped off at a bar instead for a beer. I drank my beer, then started walking and met a couple from Austria. They had a car and were going south. now I know that it is the opposite directions and rides from strangers are never a good idea, but they said they had candy, puppies, and rainbows in their car so I though.... shrug, I guess ...

... leaking from the bottom of the lake turns it into sulphric acid!!! We then went over to the main steam spout as all the other groups had now moved on. It is incredibley impressive and very hot, although it does stink of rotten eggs!!!! As we made our way back to the helicopter , Kerry pointed out the one and only tree that is growing in the crater. No-one knows how it survives in the sulphur loaded soil but all the helicopter pilots made a point of ...

... outside the town (affording a reasonable, but somewhat disappointing view down to the town) and they have a number of luge tracks running back down the hill. We had a couple of runs down the hill, the local kids were flying down (wrecklessly in my geriatric opinion). Ellie loved it and is considering becoming a professional Lugist. Just time for a quick visit to the polynesian spa for a soak in some (dilute, yet hot) sulphuric ...

... option, as it was cheaper and meant I didn't have to wear a wetsuit. The glowworms were cool I guess, and the caves were massive, I was over 40 metres underground at one point which is pretty scary if you think about it - I would have been so dead if there was a cave in... At the end of the tour you go out on this boat and see the millions of glowworms twinkling down at you like stars - and they really do look like stars - its so dark that ...