Rotorua
Rotorua and the thermal area at WhakarewarewaClick on any image to see a bigger version.
On the way to Rotorua |
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Ooooh! A rainbow! |
The Marae, Maori meeting place |
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Maori war boat |
The thermal area |
Boiling mud pool |
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Sulphur - yum |
Geyser going off - Prince Of Wales geyser on left |
...and in the centre the Pohutu geyser... |
...which is bigger |
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Te Puia - Maori fortified willage (remains of) |
Glip! Glop! More boiling mud. |
A reassuring sign |
Cooking pool |
Cooking pool |
Told you it was a cooking pool |
Sort of dried sinter volcano thing, about a metre across |
Mud hole. Glop! |
Maori hut |
This one is sunk to make use of the thermal properties of the ground. In other words it's warm inside |
The Maori chief makes his challenge to the visitors (us) at the start of the Maori cultural presentation |
Our "chief" accepts the challenge in peace. Phew! |
We are greeted with a haka |
The show moves indoors, into the Wharenui or sacred meeting house |
Dig those Maori babes |
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Maori morris dancing |
A full-on haka |
The cast |
The cast with inevitable Japanese tourist |
The Wharenui, where we are putting on our shoes after the show |
Inside an original building, a smaller carved meeting house with photographs of the many guides and leaders who have contributed over the years |
The Pataka, used to safeguard the heirlooms and treasures of chiefs and leaders |
The full name of the area! |
In the Maori craft centre, proudly displayed, 2005 Lions shirt signed by the squad. The brass plaque contains an apostrophe howler |
Maori carving |
Carving in progress |
The school of carving |
Arsenal's defensive wall. Oh okay it's a load of Maori carvings ;-) |