January 5, 2011 - the City of Rotorua, the sulphur city, smells like rotten eggs - this city was so much fun to be, lots of sights and shops, after a while you forget about the smell..
The city's busy streets, lined with signs of specialty foods like pickled pork and some not too tasty dishes... watch out for pedestrians, they own the road in this town..
The Main seat of Government right in the center of town...
The Rotorua Wildland Reserve provide New Zealand's lumber supply, systematically planted and harvested as seen here on the almost barren side of the mountain before reaching Rotorua...
This is the hotel we stayed in Rotorua, somehow our travel agent had booked us all the Ibis Hotel in our trip which was great because we were in walking distance to all of the city centre's busy activities...
My sister and Sandy while we were waiting for our local guide to the sights and attraction this beautiful town had to offer, this area is so rich with lakes (a total of 12 lakes through out the park), volcanic activities, geysers, lava trails, sulphur banks that gives the town that distinct smell of sulphur, reminds me so much of Hawaii's volcano parks...
Sandy standing by the launch pad for the amphibian boat ride tour in Lake Rotorua...
The locals call this the Sulphur Lake, that is the hiking trail for those who want to hike along the lake, picnic areas surround the lake (that is if you can get past the smell of rotten eggs...)
This is the Blue Lake, smaller lake from all around the volcano park, good for picnic and sailing, locals hang out here more than the tourist....
Totem Pole at the Lake Tarawera Lookout, in case you haven't noticed, Sandy blended in well with the color of the totem pole..
Isn't that a gorgeous sight? Once only accessible by boat, the lake is a favorite summer resort of New Zealand's elite in the 1800...
The Village of Tarawera was burried in the eruption of Tarawera caldera in 1886 that is now a tourist center not to be missed, preserved buildings and kitchenwares abound in the displays, as usual since this was a walking tour, we did not have the luxury of touring the village since our schedule did not permit us, but I have to say that this would be a good place to visit and stay at least 5 days to see all the sites to visit and the water/hiking activities that younger travelers love to do.
Entrance to the Burried Village visitor center/gift shop, if you like Paua shells (Abalone), this shop had some really pricey pieces... for gifts to take home I suggest shopping at the town centre, prices are much more reasonable..
"I see dead people", thats my sister behind some dead people...
This is the garden patio for the restaurant in the center, we didn't eat here again because of the high prices of the menu...
I took a picture of the Lake Tarawera park to show the diverse sights and activities this area has to offer, they can all be booked by the concierge of your hotel or just go to the hotel lobby and pick all the tourist brochures...
After we left Tarawera park, we headed down to the Green Lake, I guess they call the lake for the color of the water, unlike the Blue lake, this is a much larger lake, more beaches to swim and sail.. no thats not tourist, thats my sister and she considers herself a local Kiwi.
After Green Lake, we headed down to Hell's Gate, this is a sulphur bath mud spa, good for your skin and aching bones, we also did not have the time to indulge, first it cost $65NZD per person to enter and walk around the sulphur mud where the spa is located, about 10 min walk to the site..
Beware! There is an entrance fee to get in and see the sulphur mud banks... thats Sandy saying "the Hell, its too expensive to get dirty in a mud"...
After our short tour (took about 4 hours to visit and travel to the different destinations) we decided to have lunch where the locals hang oug out - 'THE PIG & WHISTLE' right in the heart of the town, the building I was told used to be the Police Station and was converted into their PUB...
A lost Filipino in the town centre of Rotorua, I looked the part, everyone knew we were visitors, some even commented on our American accent...
We visited the town's outdoor fair (equivalent to our swap meets) they closed the entire shopping center (about 8 blocks) and opened the fair with food, fresh produce, displays, souvenirs, and local products made in Rotorua, I didn't know that New Zealand's Lavender Farms are the largest in the world (even larger than England's), they grow the highest quality of the flowers that is used for perfumes, soaps and other health & beauty products... Who Knew? My sister didn't even know, I got this from a local vendor selling Lavender soaps...
You've got to try their fresh french fries, this is the 'Lord of the Fries'
I have to admit, the cherries and the grapes were probably one of the sweetest I have ever tasted, here is Sandy buying fresh fruits...
This Rotorua's public bath house, they have mineral baths and sulphur baths at very reasonable prices, sorry, we didn't have time to go in and try the spa... maybe next time..
A Historical Landmark, this is Rotorua Museum, it looks deserted because we took these picture at 5 AM, so the museum opens at 10 AM, we couldn't wait to see the displays either...
