Rotorua - More than the smell of sulphur

7th January 2013

One of my day trips was spent in Rotorua, which is around one hour away from Taupo. It was easy to book my bus with Naked Bus, and only cost about £10.

Upon arrival in Rotorua, the smell of sulphur penetrates the nostrils. It is quite pungent, but you get used to it right away. I ventured over to the i-site (tourist info) and booked Te Puia, for me to learn more about the Maori culture. There seemed to be no shuttle bus, so I decided to get on a local bus which toured around the suburbs. Was nice to see more of the city the way the locals would.

Dropped off just outside the centre, the heat of the sun was immense. I had to wear my sun hat to avoid being burned! Scottish skin is not used to the sun so much :)

The outside had a range of tiki statues and there was a fantastic metal structure in the entrance.

I met my tour group, and we were welcomed in a special ceremony where the men performed war moves. We were asked to respect the Maori ways and not laugh at anything. This included taking off our shoes, hats and sunglasses when we entered the meeting house, known as the marae. The Chinese tourists in my group didn't seem to understand, but I thought perhaps this was a clash of cultures.

  Inside, the carvings were beautifully crafted into the most mystical shapes. We watched a show were the famous Haka was performed and some lovely songs. My favourite part when I watch New Zealand play rugby is when they perform the Haka. This one was a bit put on for the tourists, and I felt uncomfortable at times as the actors didn't look like they were enjoying it much. It was terrifying to watch though and I definitely didn't laugh once.

We were then split up into different groups and I ended up in a tour group with our funny guide called Paul McGarvie, he has a very traditional Maori name! He told us that only 10% of the Maori population is actually only Maori, due to years of integration. He then began to ask where people were from, and took the piss out of the Aussies and English. When he found out I was from Scotland he remarked at least my team know how to play rugby.

Paul told all about his tribe and how they had come to own the park we were about to walk through. He mentioned many people living in the park were related to the original chief. Then off we went down to see the geysers and mud pools, especially geyser Pohutu which can reach 30m off the ground.

The day continued to get hotter, so we were offered a rest when we went to visit the Kiwi birds. They are nocturnal and endangered, so we had to be very quiet and walk in the dark to get a glimpse of them. They are quite funny birds and hop around. Once we emerged back into the sunlight the tour ended. I decided to get some traditional Hangi, food which had been boiled in the thermal pools in the park. Very tasty!

I also checked out the carving school at Te Puia. It was fascinating to learn all about how those fantastic carvings take shape and this is only for males who are part Maori . There is also a weaving school for women, and this is open to everyone.

I then headed back into town to explore some more, and get some much needed ice cream from the famous Lady Jane's Ice Cream Parlour! I ended up walking through the Government Gardens and along Lake Rotorua. I even dipped my feet into the lake which was so warm.

I really enjoyed my day trip to Rotorua, and would recommend it as a must see place in the North Island!