Welcome to Rotorua

Can you say tourist trap? What a drag! It took us about half an hour to figure out that everything in this town was outrageously expensive. Took the fun right out of trying a few things, like touring a crater, taking in a Maori cultural show, or watching a sheep sheer. Decided instead to go to a geo-thermal park and play golf. Turns out that several of the celebrated geysers have been dormant since the 60’s! Just about the time we were convinced that we had been royally ripped off, we came upon a modest geyser and some mud pots of boiling earth and steam.

Pretty sad, really. Then off to golf. For $60 bucks, you too can play on a fairly rough course; no promise of a great second shot if your drive lands in the fairway. The ground is so hilly, dippy and rough that all lies are poor, as a rule. Still it was a much more enjoyable day than one spent in a Maori cultural show, museum or agropark to watch a sheep sheer…we think. Can’t wait to get out of Rotorua! Best part of our stay? Last night’s street food. The best ever: mussel fritter. Fantastic! Add to that, a calamari skewer, chicken skewer, chocolate cake and fried bread dough—right out of my childhood at my grandmother’s farm! Tomorrow, we are getting out of here, destination unknown. Somewhere north of Wellington, hopefully, then a day or so in Wellington before we cross over to the south island. Looking forward to it!