Rotorua
Day 1
24.11.2009 - 24.11.2009
28 °C
When we arrived last night the owners of our accommodation ran us through a selection of things to do in and around Rotorua. There is so much to do that we are going to stay here an extra night so we can cram in as much as possible.
The first thing we did on Tuesday morning was to head to the Kiwi Encounter Centre - it's basically a hospital and breeding centre for Kiwi's as lots of the baby ones get eaten by predators and therefore numbers are depleting rapidly. We got to go into the nocturnal enclosures and see the kiwis scooting about snuffling in the earth for food. It was a really special experience as they aren't behind glass and you can hear the sounds they make as well as seeing them up close. One of the Kiwis in the centre is 40 yrs old and it's amazing how tall they grow - up to 3 feet high!
After waving cheerio to our kiwi chums we headed up the cable-car to look at the views over Rotorua and lake Rotorua and also to grab a spot of lunch whilst admiring the view. After lunch we thought it would be a good idea to try out the 3 street luge tracks at the top of the mountain. What a hoot! We started with the scenic one, then the intermediate and finally the advanced - a bit of a rush, especially when you go too quickly over the top of hill and get some air!
Our next stop was on the sea-front for a walk and then onto the Government Gardens (hidden gem in Rotorua) and the museum (which used to be a luxury spa c. 1900ish). To see the building itself was worth the entry fee but the museum content was also really good too and covered the last big volcanic eruption in the area and the rebuilding of the tourist trade and communities.
After a quick change and some dinner, we headed to the Polynesian Spa at c. 9:30pm to relax in the thermal pools. The pools are all open-air and on the side of lake Rotorua - nothing quite like relaxing in a thermal pool and looking out across the lake at the stars... sigh.
Posted by Gill-Neil 25.11.2009 01:12 Archived in New Zealand
