Rotorua
Initially planning to hike the Tongariro Crossing this weekend, we decided instead to travel the Rotorua region because we were not well prepared for the big hike. We left Friday afternoon and arrived at the first campsite at night.
First campsite
In the morning we could see how nice the campsite really was. This is a picture of the sunrise behind the van. The site was nestled beside a nice lake. On the Saturday morning we set of for Blue Water Springs
Blue Water Springs
The springs were stunning. The water was so clear that we underestimated how deep it was. We went for a dip, which didn't last long. Alex left the water pretty quickly because it was so cold that it stung. I pretended that it didn't sting and made it part way across before turning back. This spring is the source of a lot of the bottled water going around New Zealand.
The city
We had a picnic lunch in the city at Rotorua. We sat by the lake and watched other tourists feeding the seagulls...
The Redwoods
In the afternoon we made our way out to the Redwood forests. The site had been a testing ground for introduced trees which could later be logged. Pines are the most common, however the Redwoods went well and here they are today. We did a nice 40 minute hike through the trees.
Breakfast at the Redwoods
Because we liked it so much, we came back to the Redwoods for breakfast the next morning.
Te Puia
We spent Sunday at Te Puia, a cultural and geothermal park. I had been here before and wanted Alex to see it first hand. The geysers and bubbling mud reminded me of my last trip to Rotorua.
Although Rotorua was quite a touristy town, we enjoyed our weekend there and would definitely do it again.
James