Sulphur City

We welcomed Granna and Court home from their south island excursion on Friday (the 15th- yes, we are a bit behind) and didn't give them much down time. We were up and at 'em early the next morning for our weekend excursion to Rotorua- aka 'Sulphur City'. This is a hugely popular tourist destination located 3 hours south east of Auckland. It is well known for its active thermal environment (in simple terms- volcano waiting to blow), creating thermal springs, spurting geysers, bubbling mud, and a rotten-egg smell from the sulphur-rich air. It is also a region full of Maori culture, with many cultural centres and performances to choose from.

After a relaxing lunch at "Fat Dog Cafe", we headed to our first stop- Te Puia. This thermal reserve was a great introduction to what lies beneath the soil in this region. Steam vents and bubbling pools are everywhere, and the main attraction is the geyser that explodes every hour, spurting steaming water 100 feet up into the air. It was an amazing sight to see, equally amazing that we were allowed to stand right next to it as it blows! Apparently the locals aren't too worried of the region exploding sky-ward as long as these vents and geysers keep releasing their pressure.

That evening we took Court to a cultural show and buffet dinner at Mitai Maori Village, while Granna and Georgie had a rest. The food was average and the presentation was a bit cheesy, but the performance was fantastic, complete with a full haka at the end. No matter how many times we see it, the haka still makes our hair stand on end.

The following morning as we walked out of our motel room (Regal Palms 5 Star City Resort, complete with mini-golf course - only the best for us), we were greeted smack in the face by the pervasive rotten-egg smell. Clearly the winds had shifted, or perhaps the parking lot fissured and spewed its earthly contents, but there was no avoiding the sulphur air. It wasn't at all noxious, it just smelled. Apparently the locals are used to it- god knows how long that would take.

After a nice lunch at the Princes Gate Hotel, a very lovely restored 19th-century hotel, we proceeded on to the Polynesian Spa. Named a "World Top 10 Spa" by somebody who apparently votes on these things, it had a number of mineral pools of different temperatures to soak in, all maintained by the underground geothermal activity. The ladies booked a mud-wrap pampering session, while Scott and Georgia hit the kiddie pool. Georgie was squealing like a little girl (appropriate), and clearly has developed into a true water baby. No mud-wrapping for her, but we were able to purchase some Rotorua Mud to take home with us, and perhaps we'll save a little bit for her down the road.

After cleaning off the mud, we all hopped back in the Subaru wagon for the long drive back to Auckland. No one was particularly keen on driving as we were all pretty relaxed from the spa day, but we managed to get back in one piece.

All in all, a great weekend in Sulphur City, while the air back in Auckland smelled particularly good for the next few days.