Taupo and Rotorua

Trip Start Mar 15, 2009
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Trip End Jul 12, 2009


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Where I stayed
Holden Bay Top 10 Holiday Park
(Rotorua hotels)

Flag of New Zealand  ,
Friday, May 1, 2009

The weather still would not cooperate and the shuttle to the Tongariro Alpine Crossing hike out of Ohakune was cancelled. 60 mile per hour winds on top of a volcanic crater just was not conducive to hiking. We did drive up to the ski resort of Turoa through lots of clouds. As you can see from the picture, this resort is on a volcanic debris area. I would say they will need lots of snow to cover all these rocks!! We hiked at a lower altitude, in less than ideal weather, and saw some great sights. The next day we moved on to Waitomo to view glow worms. Took a boat tour through the caves with thousands of glow worms all over the ceilings. They glow a bright blue in the dark. Was truly AWESOME!! Then moved on to Lake Taupo and Rotorua. This is the most active volcanic area in the world. Truly enjoyed the thermal areas. Hope you enjoy the pictures. We went to a Maori Hangi while in Rotorua. The Maoris are the aboriginal peoples of NZ. They are covered in tattoos. Their faces are covered and these tattoos tell a story. The warriors arrived in a boat and then presented a Maori war dance. The meaning of the tattoos was explained and the Maori women presented their songs and dances also. The dinner was cooked underground and was delicious. We also went to a sheep show. It was fascinating learning all about the different types of sheep in NZ. The part where the dogs herded the sheep was fun to see. We will move further north for the next week before making our way to Australia. More later...
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