Rotorua is the part of New Zealand that has geothermal sites perhaps the second best area for seeing them behind only Yellowstone. Our first stop was at Whahakarewarewa Village, a Maori town located on a geothermal area where the people incorporate the hot water into their lives, using it for cooking, cleaning and bathing.
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| Whakarewarewa (seen from above, photo mural in the cafe) |
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| Hot springs |
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| A larger hot spring used as the source for bathing water |
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| Our Guide, who was raised in the village |
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| A built-in steamer |
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The long word at the bottom is the actual name of the village meaning:
"The Uprising of the War Parties of Wahiao"
Our tour included a cultural show with Maori songs and dances and a tour of the village.
We then drove south towards Lake Taupo stopping off at the Waimangu Volcanic Valley, a recent geothermal area formed in the late 1800s and early 1900s.
 | | To visit the valley we hiked down towards a lake |
 | | The view down the valley (another photo of a photo in the visitor's centre) |
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But luckily there was a bus ride back up the valley!! |
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| A side trip to Huka Falls |
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