New Zealand 2014

Immediately after breakfast we left the hotel with our luggage for the Auckland Center bus terminal adjacent to the Sky Tower. Here we boarded an InterCity Bus which wound its way through city traffic and several Auckland suburbs. After a couple of rest stops we arrived at the Rotorua bus terminal where we were met by David and a large van from HeadFirst.

David brought us to the Wylie Court Motor Lodge where we stayed for two nights. Here each unit had a private hot tub. Also in front of the units was an open air hot water pool. Both the hot tubs and the pools were fed from hot springs.

The town of Rotorua is at the center of a large and lively geothermal area where the turbulent forces that formed New Zealand are most evident.

Rotorua is also an ancestral home of the Maori people. The Maori are Polynesians who settled in New Zealand about 1300.

After some free time during which some went to a Countdown supermarket for supplies we gathered and walked together to Te Puia - the premier Māori cultural centre in New Zealand, in time to participate in an indigenous evening experience.

Our native guide first led us to the Te Whakarewarewa Thermal Valley so that we could see the Pohutu Geyser and the many other thermal wonders.

Blue Pool	Bubbling mud
Next our guide brought us to the exhibits of the New Zealand Maori Arts and Crafts Institute where she explained Maori culture. There were numerous demonstrations of native crafts. We did not attempt to learn the Maori language.
Basket weaving


Here is the Hangi, a traditional New Zealand Maori method of cooking food using heated rocks in a pit oven, where our dinners were being prepared. Before dinner we first had to be officially greeted.

Click here to see a short movie of part of the ceremony.
Singing and dancing continued in the meeting room.	Some of our group participated.
Dinner
As the sun set we had a final viewing of the illuminated thermals.