After having spent the first few days in Coromandel, we moved on to go to Rotorua, the inofficial capital of Maori tourism. The way we tackled Rotorua is very well captured by having a look at the Wikipedia entry:

Rotorua is a major destination for both domestic and international tourists; the tourism industry is by far the largest industry in the district. The city is known for its geothermal activity, and features geysers – notably the Pohutu Geyser at Whakarewarewa – and hot mud pools.

We first met with Anna, Claire and Anna’s brother Michael, who were in the area by chance. We strolled around the city and pretty soon realized that with the geysers comes the smell of hydrogen sulphide emissions, which is very similar to rotten eggs. Highlights were the Rotorua Museum of Art and History, the local fun fair and the hot pools, that we indulged in later.

The next morning we got to one of the Maori sites, Whakarewarewa, had a tour around the premises and ate our Hangi. I got my picture with Maoris. My biggest revelation was that one of the integral part of this tribe’s culture was guiding, i.e. showing tourists the local sights. They’ve been doing this since as early as 1869, which pretty much impressed me.

Top moments:

• Having breakfast and watching the sun rise on the deck in Tairua — the only day in Tairua with good weather
• Going to the Polynesian Hot Pool Spa and spent a little more to get into the less crowded deluxe area
• Meeting Anna and Claire for Lunch and strolling around the fun fair