May 13, 2007, Rotorua New Zealand

Date:  Sunday, May 13, 2007

Rotorua, New Zealand

 

Happy Mother’s Day

 

Today we drove up to Rotorua from Taupo.  It was a nice easy drive of about 130km and the weather couldn’t have been better with blue skies the whole day.  The New Zealand weatherman would say that this was a “mostly fine” day but I would say that it was a 100% fine day with temps of about 16C (I’m trying to think in metric more).

 

On the way to Rotorua we stopped at the bore site for the steam wells supplying the generating plant.  It’s an unusual site with the escaping steam and lots of huge steam pipes carrying steam as far as 5km to the plant.  There are a few photos included including one of the KEA in a set of expansion loops.

 

Joan, Linda, and I went for about an hour’s hike in the California Redwood forest on the edge of Rotorua.  The redwoods are now about 100 years old having been brought here from California that long ago.

 

We stopped in town and had supper at the Fat Dog Café.  It was a somewhat eclectic place with an interesting atmosphere.

 

That was enough exercise to make the soaking in the hot mineral water tub feel good at the campground.  It seems that you always meet some interesting people sitting there in the communal mineral baths.

 

Poem of the day seen at the Fat Dog:

 

The most considerate bird is the Kiwi,

He sits in the top of the pea tree.

He goes to the loo

In everyone’s view,

But says look out below,

Here comes the pee wee.