KIA ORA (Welcome to New Zealand): Rotorua September 27-29, 2010

KIA ORA (Welcome to New Zealand)!

After a couple of bus rides from Auckland, the City of Sails, through Manukau, we touched down on  Rotorua.  Talk about living on the edge, literally: in Costa Rica, we stayed in an inn close to the foot of the rumbling and lava-spewing Arenal volcano; in Rotorua, we descended into a volcano’s mouth (caldera) that was the entire town!  We knew as soon as we smelled the characteristic sulphuric aroma that exciting things were to come.

For starters, we re-lived the volcanic tremor that the inhabitants of Rotorua experienced during the eruption of Tarawera Mountain in 1886, while watching the state-of-the-art cinema that was part of the Museum of Art and History tour.  We kid you not, at the exact retelling of the event, our seats rocked and swayed.  For a while, we thought that an actual eruption had occurred.

Rotorua Museum

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We saw a preview of the treasures of the Te Arawa Maoris, the Bath House rooms that previously had been visited by people from all over the world  to indulge in the curative “electric baths” in which electric currents were fed into the mineral water.

Then, back to the hotel for a quick dip into its natural thermal pool - ahh, hot and relaxing - before immersing ourselves in indigenous Maori life later that day.

Hot hot hot mineral pool

The cultural experience was earthy, real, and raw.  In the actual village site of Mitai, we were face-to-face with tribal members who had canoed down in an ancient warrior waka (canoe).  In a natural bush setting, we learned about their art and at moko (tattoo art), were awed by displays of weaponry and combat, coupled with the grace of the poi dance and a spine-tingling haka finale.

Warrior canoe

War dance

The grand finale to it all - food, what else? - cooked hangi-style.  We feasted on ground-cooked lamb, chicken, and kumara potatoes, a variety of Polynesian salads, and desserts - the best of the latter being a visual feasting of the eyes on an outdoor gathering of glowworms.  In the sacred fresh water of the village, we had the magical experience of seeing tiny points of light shyly beaming their way into darkened waters.

This afternoon, we’re looking forward to yet another memorable time in Napier.