Lazy Eggs Day

The weather report doesn't bode well, it is supposed to rain from 11:00 am. That's why we left early to at least have the first few hours dry. Today we are going on a trip to the Wai-O-Tapu Thermal Wonderland, a geothermal area about 20 km south of Rotorua.

It is noticeable after the first steps. The smell of sulfur. And what does sulfur smell like? .....

It accompanies us throughout the visit. A great, bizarre park.

Steam comes out of the ground everywhere. Abstract shapes and bright colors accompany us on our tour.

The highlight is the Champagne Pool.

If you stand on the "wrong" side, the "fragrant", hot steam soaks your clothes.

💡The pool has a diameter of 65 meters and a depth of 62 meters. The water temperature is 74 degrees. It is named after the constantly rising small gas bubbles, which resemble sparkling champagne.

Unfortunately, the weather doesn't follow the weather forecast and the rain starts earlier. You can't rely on anything. We find shelter under a small cover and wait out the rain. Eventually, the sky clears up and we explore the rest of the Wonderland.

Sometimes it feels like a witch's kitchen here.

Bubbling is everywhere. It's like having different-sized pots on the stove. A truly remarkable park.

On the way back, we made a short stop at the mud hole.

Bubbling is everywhere here too. This is also a place where you could stare at the mud for hours, but unfortunately a black wall is rising on the horizon.

And it's moving pretty fast, too fast.

On the way back, the weather clears up again and we decide to play another round of Frisbee Golf.

This time we start at hole 5. It's still more of a treasure hunt than a frisbee game. Additionally, there was a lot of water around or near the baskets at some places. But despite all the difficulties, we finished the game, up to hole 18.

And today we notice for the first time that it also smells like rotten eggs here.

Then followed 2 hours of unsuccessful shopping. After a kebab, we finally head home, it's time for a nap. I really need it because today I'm in a bad mood and grumpy.

The last item on our agenda for today is the "Redwoods treewalk night".

💡The treewalk is a 700-meter-long circuit consisting of 28 suspension bridges and 27 platforms around the trees. The height of the walkway ranges from 9 to 20 meters, providing an elevated view of the forest below. The longest suspension bridge is 37 meters.

That was a lot of fun.

A successful combination of fun and imparting knowledge. The highlight of "treewalk night" are the 30 lanterns hanging in the trees, illuminating the forest.

A beautiful ending to our time in Rotorua.