Rotorua

		Rotorua

norsk tekst

Monday-Wednesday after the reunion we drove south, Stan, Justine, Stacy and the four Storakers. We hired a big car with place for all of us. Hotel was booked in Rotorua.

First stop was Candy World, a big sweet shop. When we had stockpiled there, we went on to Otorohanga Bird Park and Gloworm Caves
Kiwi bird - the odd little bird without wings.
Gloworm Caves - caves with gloworms in the ceiling.
Rotorua - a town smelling sulphur. There are many hotels, - lots to see and to do:
sulphur wells, warm baths and geysirs
Maori museum og park
The Luge
On oue way home we passed Waihi gold mines

Links:
Kiwi House and Native Bird Park
The Caves
Waitomo blackwater rafting
Rotorua Luge - the luge

	Map reader

	Picture from the Internet: The kiwi is a very funny creature, tail-heavy, and with the beak and the feet as the only tools.

	Here is the cafe with the entrance to Waitomo Caves. It was a rainy day, ideal for visiting caves

	The main chamber was called the Cathedral. There were regulary conserts. The opera star Kiri Te Kanawa had conserts there. (Internett picture)

	It was a tremendous atmosphere - quiet, totally dark, under a starry sky of worms (Internet picture)


	The Tuesday we drove to a restaurant by the lake of Tarawera. Beautiful scenery, - reminded of the best of Norway

	The town of Rotorua smelled of sulphur. Many places you could see the small clouds of damp coming up. We went to one of the national parks to see the geothermic activity

	Blop - blop - blop! (There should have been a sound to the picture) This was too hot for swimming -





	We went a tour to a park with American redwood trees.

	They called it a ski-lift, but there was no snow. We were about to run the Luge

	You got a helmet and a short introduction how to use the break

	Here Lise in full speed downwords

	Eirin, Lise and Justine, Stan og Stacy did 5 tours. The advanced track was the best -

	The Wednesday we drove north again. Here a snapshot of some sheep

	- and green hills

	The mine was about to shut down in a few years. The open day mine then will be made to a lake with new vegetation around. There was built a new mining museum..

	We are in Otorohanga bird park. The kiwi is a night bird. To make it possible to observe it in avtivity you have to go in a dark house where photograhping not was allowed.

	The twokiwies in the house made a spetacular performance when we watched them. One of them lay flat, when the other trampled on and stuck with its beak, a real wresteling show.

	It was a very interseting tour down the caves. The guide was a young girl. She was both well-informed and entertaining. She managed to make a it a real thrilling tour. Stalacits heng down from the ceiling, stalagits grow up from the floor. (Internet picture)

	By the river in the cave we used a boat. All lights were put out, all were quiet, and the guide pulled us forward holding a rope that was streched. Then we came to the hall with gloworms. The worms produces light to attract flies, which they catch with sticky threads. (Internett picture)

	We drove on to Rotorua where Justine had booked rooms on Hotel Boulevarde. The hotel was perhaps a bit outdated, -

	On the hotel were free spa, baths with natural minerals and natural heated. Delicious relaxing.

	Fire in the wood?- -





	The mineral water deposits to terraces.

	Den geotermiske parken var kombinert med et maori museum. Der var det forestillingar for turistane med maori seremoniar og dans.

	We also made a stop outside the town hall that was built in traditional Maori style.

	Up to start. There were three different tracks - scenic - medium and advanced.

	Ready! The luge is a flat wagon with small wheels on. The track was of cement.

	You had to use the break before the curves --

	Night in the cable lift. - It was pretty cold on the fists the last run down.

	- and some cows -

	Vi stoped in Waihi, an old mining town. Dei produced gold and silver. There was both an open day mine and long tunnel shafts

	Thusday was the last farewell with our dear hosts on New Zealand Next stop Fiji -


Sist endra: 14.08.2005	© Harald Storaker	E-post: hasto @ online.no