An Odyssey Down Under: Australia and New Zealand Day 8

Thursday, February 13th

Our day began with learning more about Rotorua’s geothermal background by visiting the Waimangu Volcanic Valley. It was created by a volcanic eruption that occurred in 1886.

Panorama view of the Waimangu Volcanic Valley

Frying Pan Lake

Warbrick Terrace

Inferno Crater Lake

We also took a cruise on Lake Rotomahana. It was created after a volcanic eruption in 1886. We passed steaming vents and geysers along the lakeshore.

On our way to lunch we walked through Rotorua’s Government Gardens. The site that the gardens are on is historically important to the local Māori people because many significant battles occurred in this location.

We saw some pukekos or swamphen.

We spent the afternoon in Te Puia, the New Zealand Māori Arts and Crafts Institute and walked through the Whakarewarewa thermal area.

At the Whakarewarewa thermal area we saw the boiling mudpools and the Pohutu geyser.

This evening we experienced a hangi. A hangi is a traditional New Zealand Māori method of cooking food using heated rocks buried in a umu which is a pit oven.

A Māori cultural experience of songs, dances, and the hangi was enjoyed by all!

It was another busy day exploring New Zealand!

An Odyssey Down Under: Australia and New Zealand Day 7

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.

An Odyssey Down Under: Australia and New Zealand Day 5

Monday, February 10th

Today began with a lecture by our Auckland site coordinator, Len. He spoke to us about the history of New Zealand which included a slide show and visuals. It was very interesting.

Our walk to the Viaduct Basin was easy and we had a yacht cruise on Auckland’s Waitemata Harbour. It was perfect weather and there was enough wind to sail around for an hour. Our boat was called the Defiance.

Our ticket for the yacht.

Our captain!

Pat is piloting our boat!

Our first mate!

Sailing under the bridge.

We met our bus driver for the next few days and his name is Ben and he is Māori, but not full-blooded. Our guide had the bus driver take us through the University of Auckland campus. It has over 60,000 students who attend and it is the largest university in New Zealand.

We stopped at Eden Garden which is just under 6 acres. It was created in an abandoned quarry at the base of Mt. Eden. We enjoyed lunch in their cafe and had time to explore the gardens after lunch!

Our next stop was to visit Auckland’s War Memorial Museum. On our way we made a quick stop at the Auckland Domain Wintergardens. It opened in 1913 and contains many rare and beautiful plants that are displayed in two Victorian style glass houses with a courtyard between them. One house is heated and contains tropical plants and the other house contains temperate plants that change with the seasons.

At the War Memorial Museum, a docent gave us a tour with a focus on the permanent Polynesian and European settlement exhibitions.

There was some free time to visit other parts of the museum on our own. It was an excellent overview but one could spend a day exploring this wonderful museum.