Today's destination was Rotorua, the heart of the most geothermically active region of NZ, and also a centre for Maori culture. So I thought we could try to do both in one: a "living village" called Whakarewarewa for short (full name in the title!), built around thermal pools with a view of the biggest geyser in NZ. On route we had Jemima's first ever car sickness experience, trying to play on the iPad on the windy mountain roads); but after sorting that out, and with her now in the front, Kevin drove the three hours with ease. (He stopped to let some cars past at one point, then was very pleased to find he was keeping up with them on the mountain roads - that van was moving...)
We got to the village in time for a quick car park sandwich before the start of the cultural performance. This was lovely - a combination of singing and dancing and using props like short and long sticks a la Morris minus the bells; and balls on strings which were swung round in patterns like hippy backpacking fire swinging types. Jemima thought the haka was a bit scary, until the men stuck their tongues out (one of them kept doing it to her, making her giggle); and then there was some audience participation of a song with actions, which she got very involved with. I'm not sure Kevin was that impressed by the show, but we both loved watching Jemima enjoy it.
He wasn't that keen on the tour either. A ten minute introduction to the Maori language was enough. Jemima needed the loo anyway, so we peeled off from the group and explored the village ourselves. 25 families live there; with two tiny churches, one Anglican, one Catholic; and one traditional carved meeting house - a varied combination. The pools were everywhere: one was designated for cooking, with little muslin bags of sweet corn hanging on strings in the hot water; another was designated for washing dirty nappies only; and baths had been carved out of the stone in another area - all very efficient (and all with different names). The water was bubbling up so strongly in one pool (Korotiotio, or Grumpy Man) that you could hear it - you couldn't really see it because of the clouds of steam (it came up at 120 degrees). It was a pretty chilly day, but walking along the pools was a lot warmer. After throwing coins to the boys waiting in the river below, which they've apparently been doing since the bridge was built in 1885, we headed to the geyser.
It was an amazing lunar landscape, with an icy blue pool beneath the sputtering rocks, steam rising over everything (the pool is apparently cold water, and is used by the village as a swimming pool - demonstrated by a group of kids at one point while we were there - when they left Jemima was sad: "where are the boys?!"). The geyser - the biggest in NZ - was supposed to erupt around once an hour, so we settled in to wait. After lots of false starts, and Jemima being staggeringly patient, Pohutu, or Big Splash, splashed! We came, we saw.
It was quite cold by this time, so we drove to our small but perfectly formed campsite (Rotorua Top10 Holiday Park) through the strip of Motels - Rotorua is clearly a busy place, and unlike our last few stops, which were full of holidaying Kiwis, is full of tourists (I heard only English voices for the first hour we were here). A play in the playground; a splash in the hot mineral pool (Jemima got waist deep in the (unheated) swimming pool and decided that was enough); then a motorhome dinner of omelette and salad - we were all too tired for any more exploring. And tonight Jemima tried out the bedroom at the back - with a curtain across, it gave her a cosy bedroom, which she liked; and gave us the rest of the space to potter in. Lovely.
PS for anyone interested, the name of the village means "The Gathering Place of the Army of Wahiao" - three centuries ago, Warrior Chief Wahiao gathered an army to avenge the killing of his father (the villagers are called the people of Tuhourangi Ngati Wahiao). It also includes 13 of the 15 letters in the Maori alphabet. So now you know...
(I didn't realise we were supposed to be sticking our tongues out...):
The cultural performance:
Jemima joining in with the song and actions:
The village and its hot pools (you can see the sweetcorn on a string):
The "penny divers":
Waiting for the geyser:
And there she blows! The Big Splash on the left, and the Prince of Wales' Feathers on the right:
Jemima in her new bed:
Hahei Beach to Rotorua:
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