Rotorua Maori Cultural Center and Geo Thermals...and Final Farewell to NZ

With spirits soaring and my feet back on the ground Kaija and I headed north to Rotorua home to a Maori Cultural Centre and our chance to see traditional indigenous Maori in their natural habitat.  We were picked up and driven to Tamaki Maori village to share in the Powhiri-the ancient ceremony before entering the village. The activities of the village included facial tattooing, carvings, and demonstrations of how food was cooked. This was followed by an incredible evening feast in the ancestral meeting house where we were entertained with a powerful cultural performance including action songs, poi, stick games, and the world famous 'Haka'-Maori War dance.

 

 We also visited a natural Geo Thermal site and had a walkabout. It was somewhat akin to taking a stroll on an imaginary Mars landscape with steaming craters and hot pools of mud spitting high into the air which had that lovely sulfuric aroma…lol. 

 

It seemed we were just hitting our stride and really enjoying our New Zealand Adventure when lo and behold…Our time was up…and while we very much enjoyed our 2 months in New Zealand we regret that we only had 2 months.  

We accomplished our goal of driving from the top to the bottom of New Zealand and seeing as many places along the way as time permitted.
 We can easily recommend that if you are planning a visit to this remarkable country and want to see as much as possible at a slightly easier pace…spend at least 3 months…chances are you may never be that way again.

Or as our good sailing buddy and New Zealander Murray Clarke would say…”North Island is terrific…south is good too…if you like sheep and people come see for yourself.”  Wow, I should have just printed that and saved you all the misery of reading all that stuff I wrote.

Pic of map

We returned our Trusty Tiny tin Tent, said our fond farewells to new friends met and made our way back to the airport for our return flight to Sydney and short train trek back to Pittwater and our beloved SS KaijaSong.

Skydiving in Taupo...Strike one off Gary's Bucket List

In 1992 Kaija gave me a wonderful birthday present...flying lessons.  It was the beginning of my love affair with the air.  The quiet exhilaration of flying in the mountains of BC and the quiet solitude of night flying became a passion.  It also started me thinking that one day soon...I would love to strap on a parachute and try my hand or luck at skydiving.  As flying came off my bucket list...Skydiving was added.  Our campsite at Taupo was located close to the local airport for for three days I had been watching the rainbow coloured parachutes flying overhead.  I woke on on the 4th morning a beautiful sunny clear day and decided today was the day.  Jumping from a perfectly good plane at 12000 ft. may seem a little stupid to some...but for me and a host of others it is a lifetime thrilling experience.  I will say that aside from the obvious feelings of apprehension and butterflies, this is a full on body rush and a full commitment sport.  Once you leave the plane…there is no going back.  It was an experience I will always remember and would do happily do again.  Here is a brief excerpt of my experience...they say a picture is worth a thousand words...hopefully you get the idea of what I thought of it.

NZ North Island Napier & Taupo

The ferry ride was uneventful and soon we were back on the north island heading to Napier.  Napier is an Art Deco Retro city restored to its 1930’s glory.  It was fun to walk about and we enjoyed a couple of relaxed days being tourists.

Our next destination was community of Taupo located in the lower central section of the North Island.  This was a fun stop for a number of reasons.  The campsite was right on the lake with million dollar views.  

It was Seniors day and there were discounts everywhere and if you are a Senior you know there are few enough benefits that accompany this station in life, so you grab them when you can.  We had fun and spent a whole day at a local health spa situated at a 5 star hotel located on acres of manicured grounds with palm trees and fountains galore.  There were a number of heated pools (each a different temp), whirlpools, Jacuzzi's, water slides and private baths…they had it all!    It was a very invigorating and relaxing day and we enjoyed it immensely.

We also enjoyed a fun lake cruise on the Ernest Kemp Steamboat to the Maori rock carvings. 

The story of the rock carving of Ngatoroirangi begins with the artists grandmother.  Te Huatahi Susie Gilbert of Ngati Tuwharetoa asked her grandson (Matahi Whakataka Brightwell) to create a likeness of her ancestor Ngatoroirangi on a Totara tree to create a permanent connection for her family to the land.  When Matahi arrived in Taupo, there was no Totara tree to carve, so he journeyed onto the lake for inspiration.  The rock alcove at Mine Bay became his canvas.