Rotorua - Part 1

Rotorua, what a pleasant surprise! Yeah, it smells but there is just so much to do! After having decided how much money I could spend here I had made plans for 5 whole days in this city, my longest stay yet!
Along the road from Tauranga I stopped at Mt Maunganui to walk up to the summit and at the Hinemaru springs, a nice little stroll beneath Redwood trees. Upon arriving at Crash Palace Backpackers at about 2pm I went to have a look around the city. I got completely lost. However, without planning to I found the International Night Street Market and had an early dinner while listening to someone playing the guitar on a nearby stage.

Hinemaru Springs

You find these kind of holes everywhere throughout the city...

That evening I became friends with 2 Americans and a Dutch girl and we decided to travel together for the next few days. So on the 4th of August we went to Wai-O-Tapu Thermal Wonderland. By chance we were also just in time to see the daily eruption of the Lady Knox Geysir at 11.15am. The walk past all those bubbling water and mud pools in impossible colours was fascinating but I thought the entrance fee was rather high. You'd probably be able to find some other location in this area where you can see similar ones for free...

Don't these algae remind you of Mirkwood?

The Champagne Pool

The Devil's Bath - what a fitting name!

On our way back we stopped at Kerosene Creek to take a free hot bath - again. A beautiful place!

After dinner we headed off once more - this time to the Redwood Tree Walk at nighttime. They had put many lanterns in the trees and whilst the signs along the walk were educating it was also just very pretty to look at. But again, you have to spend some money for that...