Rotorua, NZ...looks like Mars, smells like farts

So remember that cyclone we told you about in Fiji? Apparently it has followed us to NZ. Arrival in Auckland was smooth. Nice hostel, dinner at the international food court, and a bus out the next morning.

We are pleased to note that the mobile device is fully operational in New Zealand, so you can expect much more frequent postings from here out. We do not have the new camera yet, so pictures may be delayed a bit, so keep checking back for new surprises.

More rain for the drive to Rotorua, however, it was a pretty drive and we saw lots of cattle, sheep and deer (on farms not wild). The sweet smell of sulphur was evident upon arrival, though not as pungent as we were led to believe. Rainy as it was, we were limited to grocery shopping and some treks out for food, but no bother as we had time to do laundry and get a good nights sleep. We are still struggling a bit with the 'language' barrier, at lunch we were asked if we would like a tall white or a short black, or something like that, and we just looked at him like a couple of foreigners until he said...you want some coffee? I'm not too concerend though because where it gets really dicey you better believe we're hiring a guide!

Armed with another forecast of rain we took our time getting out today, but when we did our efforts were nicely rewarded with some terrific activity at Kuirua Park, 2mins from our hostel. Most of the choice geothermal spots have been turned into commercial ventures, but this one is right in the heart of the city and absolutely free. This place was straight from a sci-fi picture and quckly answered the question of where that aroma was coming from.









The next item on the agenda was a walk to the governmental gardens, where many of the old bath houses are located. We took time to admire the well maicured lawns of the lawn bowling and croquet clubs, and let the record show that the lawn bowlers have much higher standards. The entire area was popularized around the turn of the centiry when a priest claimed his arthritis was cured thanks to the waters in the various springs about town, and thus was born a tourism hot spot for New Zealand.





As we wandered on along the lake we came to a personal favorite, the laughing pool. Apparently the mixture of sulphur dioxide and something breeds a gas that is essentially nitrous oxide and would make all bathers laugh hysterically while they were in the water. The downside was that occasionally you would pass out and you friends would have to save you. I guess nothings perfect, right?

After getting absolutley drenched on the remainder of our walk, we made our way to the Pig and Whistle from some refreshing NZ ale and a nap shortly thereafter.

Bad news of the day is that Michelle has come down with an ear infection and will be unable to participate in her favorite pasttime, itching her ears, at least until she's better. Be sure to wish her a speedy recovery if you email her, nobody likes an earache, especially not on vacation.

This evening we enjoyed steak cooked by chef evan in the hostel kitchen and a fine NZ cab that was a real treat. It does not appear that we will be getting the pictures or video onto the blog tonight, but we will do our best to get these up right away. Trust me, words do not do these oddities justice.

Tomorrow we will be exploring one of the commercial geothernal sites, as well going hiking in an experimental forest planted 100 yrs ago 'just to see what would happen'. They claim that the redwoods grow 3x faster here than in Cali, so we'll just have to see.

That's all I can think of for now, so we will leave you with some musings...

Driving on the other side of the road is not a big deal except when you (as a pedestrian) have to check for oncoming traffic. We have a system...Left clear, right clear, go! I am saying this, mind you as someone who has yet to get behind the wheel over here, so this could all change.

The kiwis in the grocery, banks, etc. are a bit like Minnesotans in some sort of...great! Ok, yeah, awesome, chatty way I can't quite put my finger on yet, but I will keep you up to speed on this little socio anthropological observation

We picked up a frozen pizza and realized only when we arrived back at the hostel that we will be limited to a microwave and frying pan. Don't worry, I checked yahoo answers and there is a good discussion on ovenless frozen pizza cooking (it will be soggy and not crisp, but edible when microwaved). We will report back tomorrow as to how it turns out.
...Breaking news...
The pizza was actually 4mos. past expiry, so we have won a reprieve and will be returning it for some good ol' corn on the cob for tomorrow night.

Still haven't seen Jemaine, Bret or Murray, but I am looking.