Wednesday, February 12th

We were on the bus by 8:30 AM for a Tiki tour (New Zealand slang for scenic route to a destination) on our way to Rotorua.  Our first stop was the Tūrangawaewae Marae, the official residence and reception center of the current Māori King.

Our second stop on our “tiki tour” was in Otorohanga, Kiwiana Town which has the Ed Hillary Walkway.  It is a series of photo displays that feature things that are typically New Zealand.

Our barbecue lunch was at a farm cafe in the beautiful countryside.  After lunch we had time to explore their bush trail.

Next stop was at the Waitomo glowworm caves.  The glowworms were amazing to see but there was no photography allowed in the caves to protect the glowworms.  The luminescent light from the glowworms was fascinating to view as we rode in a boat.

Our last “tiki tour” stop was at the Arapuni Swing bridge.  This suspension bridge was built so that workers from Arapuni could get to the power station construction site on the other side of the Waikato river.

When we arrived at Rotorua, we checked into our room and went for a walk around Lake Rotorua.