Government Gardens and Geothermal Activity

After spending a few wonderful hours in the Rotorua Museum of Art and History, I went back to wandering through Government Gardens. The entire area is a hotbed of geothermal activity. One of the main tourist attractions in the 19th century was the Pink and White Terraces, formed by geysers on the edge of nearby Lake Rotomahana. Visitors could bathe in the pools formed by the terraces, and it was apparently stunningly beautiful. European tourists would explore the area lead by Māori guides. In early June 1886, a group of tourists and their Māori guides were out on the lake in a boat when they all reported seeing a Māori waka (war boat) full of warriors in traditional dress, the likes of which hadn't been seen on that lake in a generation. This sighting is now regarded as a warning, as on June 10, 1886, nearby Mount Tarawera erupted, destroying the Terraces and the surrounding villages of Moura, Te Ariki, Te Tapahoro, Te Wairoa, Totarariki, and Waingongogo and killing 150 people.

There are geysers, hot springs, and bubbling mud all over the region. The following examples are from the lakeside behind the museum. This is called Camerons Laughing Gas Pool (or the White Sulphur Bath), as the mix of hydrogen sulphide and carbon dioxide has a very similar effect as nitrous oxide. This was one of the first pools to be used by Europeans, though the water was pumped from the pool into a wooden structure nearby, to mitigate the effects of a gas that caused uncontrollable laughing fits and/or fainting spells, which are, of course, always a great mix when bathing.

Another pool a little farther on. Parts of Rotorua can have that wonderfully distinct sulfur smell, though for the most part it wasn't terribly bad.

The ground is not particularly stable on this side of the lake, and visitors are cautioned to stay on the path. Or else. But the birds don't seem to mind.

Back in the gardens, I found a few more Pukēko, this time of the adult variety.

It was spring, at the soil here is quite rich. I found some lovely iris (my favorite flower!).

This grand sculpture, Waitūkei, was nearby. It was unveiled in 2001, and the creator, Rotorua local artist and master carver Lyonel Grant, says he drew inspiration from the region's melding of Māori and European cultures.

I rounded out my visit with a wander through the rose garden. It's hard to see scale in these photos, but many of those roses are the size of my face.

That evening I came back into town for the Matariki Hāngi and Cultural Performance. Hāngi is the Māori word for a meal cooked by digging a pit, lighting a fire, laying down stones, putting baskets of food on top of the food, then covering the whole thing with dirt to cook for a few hours. Similar methods have been used by many cultures throughout the world, but the Rotorua has a bit of a twist - since there are so many volcanic vents around, there's no need for the fire or the stones. Meals can be cooked entirely by volcanic steam, which means that everything is always nice and moist and delicious. There was a very impressive buffet spread of local delicacies, much of which was cooked in a pit outside that's always a convenient (if, by me, forgotten) temperature. I sat at a table with an interesting array of people, a couple from Australia (though she was originally from the States) and their adorable two-year-old daughter, a couple from Germany, and a couple from France. The French couple was glad to be out, as they had had a particularly eventful few days. They had come to New Zealand for a three-week holiday, but a few days into it he had a stroke and ended up in the hospital. Shortly after that, they received word that they had a new grandchild back in France, then spent a tense few days checking in with family in Paris after the November attacks. The hospital had released him for that evening only, and then they were due to fly back to France in the next few days. He stood as the audience's "chief" during the traditional welcome pōwhiri at the start of the cultural performance. It was beautiful. And a nice reminder that you never know what life is going to bring, despite your best laid plans.

Tune in next time for more from Rotorua, including more geothermal wonders and a tour through Whakarewaewa, a living Māori village. Unless life has other things in store.