Hot stuff and Tauranga

Start of the day at the Lady Knox Geyser at Waiotapu. It erupts daily at 10:30 using soap, making it a major tourist attraction. Cheating, if you ask me! The crowds then all flood into the Waiotapu Thermal Wonderland, which is definitely worth it. The Champagne Pool is clearly the highlight of the park.

After a short break, we went to the Ōmanawa waterfall. Picturesque valley, despite the use of hydropower.

Another waterfall - McLaren Falls. There is also a hydroelectric power plant here, so the outflow is controlled at 4 cubic meters per second. However, you can swim here comfortably if it's not too cold. Or just climb on the rocks.

Then we continued to Tauranga, where New Zealand's second-largest international port is located. The city does not seem to roll up the sidewalks at 7 PM like most other towns in NZ. The path around Mount Maunganui is nice to walk and has some lovely trees. Watching the sunset is always nice too...

End of the day at the hip Rice Rice Baby. Authentic Vietnamese with mini plastic stools for seating. It was delicious nonetheless.