Rotorua in a Day

Apparently Rotorua takes weeks to explore (I am discovering that New Zealand probably takes a lifetime to uncover), but the Ropers gave me quite a tour of the town in one afternoon. Amanda took me to ride the luge in the morning, a downhill cart ride similar to a waterslide but with sidewalks and carts on wheels. We followed this up with a ride on the sky swing, a giant swing that starts off 150 m. above ground - this was a bit of a scary ride.

After our rides, we set out to see some natural sights. We first went to a thermal park with all sorts of steaming pools, bubbling mud ponds, and hot rocks. We had a lovely walk around, despite the smell of rotten eggs. After lunch, we set out to the Buried Village. This was a small town from the 1800's that was covered by volcanic ash, leaving many preserved huts and artifacts. This village also had a lush path along a stream of trout which lead to a magnificant waterfall. The path then climbed up to an outlook of the surrounding hills and a beautiful lake.

After all these excursions we went home for a little relaxation, and I took a jog into the redwood forest across the street. Luckily for me, it is difficult to get lost in those woods. I managed to find my way back and Amanda's father, Dave, offered to take me for a tour of the surrounding lakes. All the lakes were crystal clear and surrounded by hills covered in green. I don't think I'll ever be able to enjoy Walden quite as much as I used to after seeing these lakes.

After my lake tour, I went back out with Amanda and her friend to the "Hot and Cold" spring. This was the highlight of the day. We went to a point where two streams merged... one with cool water and another with steaming hot water. Thus, you could move around until the water was "just right". The scenery was also just right... with trees overhanging the stream and green forest for as far as the eye could see.

Rotorua is certainly a spectacular place... I didn't need a week to figure that out.