The holiday park in Rotorua where we’re staying is ideally situated near the lake and a very short drive into town. Probably the coolest thing about it is there is a resident flock of Pukekos, which are New Zealand birds about the size of a chicken but very colorful, with dark blue plumage and red splotch on their heads. They’re really funny to watch and the sound they make is very interesting. In addition to the Pukekos, there is also a black swan (one of my favorite birds) on the premises that likes to hang out with the other birds. They are all so tame you can feed them by hand which I did with some old bread we had. Makes it kind of fun having them hang out around the campervan!
Sadly, we didn’t Zorb today…….but we Ogo’d!! When we went into the park office to ask for directions to the Zorbing place, she suggested we also check out the Ogo place, which is closer than Zorb, and their runs are longer. The Ogo place looked fine to us and they had the exact same set up as Zorb, so we decided to do it. The weather was perfect today and there were only a couple of other people doing it, so it was nice not to feel rushed. Jim went first and I after him. They took each of us up the hill in a pick up truck to where the balls are once up there, we crawled inside the ball and got strapped in. I didn’t know quite what to expect but it was AWESOME! They give you a good push and you start rolling down this long, grassy pathway, losing all sense of orientation along the way. Of course, it ended much too soon but it was so worth it! We took our own pictures and videos, but decided to buy the ones they made as well since it was such a memorable experience.
After that, we decided on something a little more “nature oriented” and drove to the Rotorua Redwood Forest, which is just outside of town. This was truly a spectacular experience, and it looks very similar to the redwood forest in California with one exception - the forest here has an amazing under canopy of tree ferns that were so cool looking. These tree ferns were anywhere from 15 to 35 feet high and made the place look so primeval that you would not have been surprised if a dinosaur walked around the corner! There were several paths of varying lengths you could take from the visitor center through the forest, and we ended up walking the 1 hour loop. There was even an 8 hour loop if you were feeling really adventurous or you could ride horses or mountain bikes around other trails.
Finally, we visited a buried village called Te Wairoa, where nearby Mount Tarawera erupted on June 10th, 1886 burying the town in mud and ash and killing more than 150 people. Since most of the structures were made of wood, the ruins were not as impressive as Pompeii, but still a really educational and moving event to learn about. Apparently, prior to the explosion, there was an area on the other side of the lake called the Pink and White Terraces, which were cascading geothermal pools (Rotorua is in the middle of New Zealand’s geothermal region with lots of geysers and heated pools around) that the minerals in the water colored pink and white. It was a very popular place for people to visit and enjoy what they thought were the health benefits of the hot pools. The terraces were actually classified as the 8th wonder of the world and the pictures looked really amazing. Unfortunately, all of it disappeared under layers of ash. The walk through the grounds was really interested and you could read all about the hotel that stood on the grounds where people would meet the guides who would ferry them across the lake to the terraces.
Life in the campervan is going well and we’re learning the art of living in a small space. Since the kitchen is in the middle of the campervan, it’s really impossible for two people to work in there. So, we’ve just been trading off the cooking and cleaning and all is going well. The bed is remarkably comfortable and even though they call it a twin, it’s really more like a queen size bed by the time you fold out the cushions. The best part is, no matter where you go, you have a bathroom if you need it!!
Sadly, we didn’t Zorb today…….but we Ogo’d!! When we went into the park office to ask for directions to the Zorbing place, she suggested we also check out the Ogo place, which is closer than Zorb, and their runs are longer. The Ogo place looked fine to us and they had the exact same set up as Zorb, so we decided to do it. The weather was perfect today and there were only a couple of other people doing it, so it was nice not to feel rushed. Jim went first and I after him. They took each of us up the hill in a pick up truck to where the balls are once up there, we crawled inside the ball and got strapped in. I didn’t know quite what to expect but it was AWESOME! They give you a good push and you start rolling down this long, grassy pathway, losing all sense of orientation along the way. Of course, it ended much too soon but it was so worth it! We took our own pictures and videos, but decided to buy the ones they made as well since it was such a memorable experience.
After that, we decided on something a little more “nature oriented” and drove to the Rotorua Redwood Forest, which is just outside of town. This was truly a spectacular experience, and it looks very similar to the redwood forest in California with one exception - the forest here has an amazing under canopy of tree ferns that were so cool looking. These tree ferns were anywhere from 15 to 35 feet high and made the place look so primeval that you would not have been surprised if a dinosaur walked around the corner! There were several paths of varying lengths you could take from the visitor center through the forest, and we ended up walking the 1 hour loop. There was even an 8 hour loop if you were feeling really adventurous or you could ride horses or mountain bikes around other trails.
Finally, we visited a buried village called Te Wairoa, where nearby Mount Tarawera erupted on June 10th, 1886 burying the town in mud and ash and killing more than 150 people. Since most of the structures were made of wood, the ruins were not as impressive as Pompeii, but still a really educational and moving event to learn about. Apparently, prior to the explosion, there was an area on the other side of the lake called the Pink and White Terraces, which were cascading geothermal pools (Rotorua is in the middle of New Zealand’s geothermal region with lots of geysers and heated pools around) that the minerals in the water colored pink and white. It was a very popular place for people to visit and enjoy what they thought were the health benefits of the hot pools. The terraces were actually classified as the 8th wonder of the world and the pictures looked really amazing. Unfortunately, all of it disappeared under layers of ash. The walk through the grounds was really interested and you could read all about the hotel that stood on the grounds where people would meet the guides who would ferry them across the lake to the terraces.
Life in the campervan is going well and we’re learning the art of living in a small space. Since the kitchen is in the middle of the campervan, it’s really impossible for two people to work in there. So, we’ve just been trading off the cooking and cleaning and all is going well. The bed is remarkably comfortable and even though they call it a twin, it’s really more like a queen size bed by the time you fold out the cushions. The best part is, no matter where you go, you have a bathroom if you need it!!
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