Rotorua

Tuesday 27^th January

Breakfast at the Millenium Copthorne brings an exciting discovery. The Vegemite is imported for some reason from Australia, and it tastes almost identical to Marmite. Now I know my dwindling Marmite supply only has to last through New Zealand.

On the road at 8.30 and heading southwards, but decided on small detour to Kawakawa to go to the toilets. Not any old loo's these, but designed by an artistic Austrian immigrant called Hundertwasser and built to his design by the local community on the high street in 1997. They are completely conventional in function, but set in a phantasmagoria of angular and rounded ceramics, bottles and other found objects which have been assembled with great craft and in such style that they are a joy to see and use.

Despite a favourable weather forecast, we encountered a lot of rain as we drove south of Auckland but it doesn't matter as it is a travelling day.

Stopped to buy supplies at Matamata. Walk round the bustling market town looking for a supermarket and eventually stop at a cafe where I ask the guy behind the till whether there is a supermarket in the town. He gives a look as one pitying a fool and points behind him through the open back door to the supermarket backing onto the property.

Onwards through strange volcanic landscapes to Lake Rotorua and after some debate around the northern margin and along by lake Rotoiti. The road we are looking for turns out to be an unmetalled forestry track which weaves its way dustily down towards the lake and our next stop.

We are welcomed heartily by Graeme and Raewyn and shown to a detached modern studio by the lakeside. The whole frontage is high glass folding sliding doors so the entire front can be open to the lake.

Graeme explains the house numbering system in New Zealand as Christine asks why if this is number 173 and the first house on the road, what happened to the preceding 172 houses? Apparently, the numbering in rural areas goes by distance in tens of metres from the start of each road, so anyone can find an address easily just by using their odometer. This place is the first house but 1730 metres from the start of the road.

He also explains we are free to use the kayaks, life jackets and paddles to explore the lake. The drive down from Pahia was 516 kilometres, longest so far.

Wednesday 28^th January

Kayaking. We donned life jackets and set sail among black ( sorry, indigenous) swans and dragonflies. Our first experimental trip was across the bay to see the geothermal springs welling up at the edges of the lake. Then we became bolder and paddled 2 kilometres eastwards following the south shore to the Manupirua thermal baths, stopping at Hot Water beach to dig a hole in the sand with our paddles which filled with water at about 36 degrees Centigrade. The baths can only be reached by boat, there is no road or track. There are several open air baths ranging from about 36 to 39 degrees Centigrade, shaded by trees and with superb views over the lake. They also provided a shady picnic table which was handy as we had tied a bag of provisions to one kayak.

After recovering from the return journey, drove into Rotorua itself and strolled through the Government Gardens and along a walk by the lake shore. This was fascinating, sulphur was being deposited around fumaroles in both yellow and black allotropes. Some vents contained boiling mud, others hissed as steam spouted into the air. Still others gurgled as the waters churned around within them. The whole place stank of hydrogen sulphide and the lake water was turbid with suspended sulphur particles. Not a pretty place, however, as the siliceous deposition from the waters, called sinter, has many of the properties and much of the appearance of dumped concrete.

Back home to witness superb sunset across lake, framed by silhouetted fern trees. As we returned along the dusty track we saw steam billowing from a vent that we hadn't noticed before.

Thursday 29^th January

Christine's 60^th birthday. Thanks to all who sent cards and Em who also contributed ice cream money!

Went kayaking around the bay. Tried to hard boil eggs in a geothermal spring but only managed to soft boil them. Found a hot water stream where if you trod at the side and your foot sank into the sand, it became too hot to stand.

Drove to Te Puia at Whakareware near Rotorua, or to give it its full name, Whakarewarewatangaoteopetauaawahiao, meaning the gathering place of the war parties of Wahiao. We think the Maori language may be related to Welsh, One highlight was a nocturnal house containing a pair of Kiwi birds scampering around in the gloom. Because they are related to ostriches and emus, the egg of the female bird is so large it occupies 70% of her body volume. Bet she is glad when she's laid that!

The other highlight was the pair of geysers. Especially the larger one imaginatively entitled Pohutu which translates as 'Big Splash'. It plumed boiling water and steam 20m high into the sky for us.

Back for a birthday barbecue which entailed finding out how to work the gas barbecue as we had never used one before.