Rotorua - here it's steaming and bubbling everywhere

The arrival in Rotorua is already unique: it stinks of sulfur, and steam rises in many places. Even from drains, curbstones, walls of houses and gardens, it steams. Somehow fascinating, but also spooky.

Because of the occasionally rainy and cold weather, we had a cabin again, from which we could explore the city on foot. There were also so-called "hot pools" on the campsite, which were fed with the hot spring water and had a temperature of about 38 degrees. That was pretty cool, hanging out in them in rainy weather.

Rotorua itself is a relatively large city for New Zealand standards, which is of course very touristy, but also has some attractive corners. There is an impressive nature reserve with steaming ponds, other parks, the very worth seeing Rotorua Museum in the former Victorian-style thermal bath, a beautiful beach promenade and a somewhat hidden Maori village.

Worth a trip is the Wai-O-Tapu Thermal Wonderland, which is about an hour's drive away. Behind this somewhat cumbersome name lies an area with many pools that offer unique views due to sulfur water and various rock mixtures. The pools shimmer in very strange colors, the water is often milky, and of course there is also steam here. The park also includes the Lady Knox Geyser, which erupts every morning at 10 in a small show with a soap (allegedly ecological). A quite funny thing, although you feel like you're in a TV show here: there are grandstands like in an open-air stage, and when the geyser starts to bubble, many spectators behave as if a pop star is starting his concert...

On the way back we stopped for a swim in a natural pool. A little off the main road in a riverbed, you can bathe in pleasantly warm water, as Mother Nature seems to have found the right mix between river water and hot spring at this spot. Very funny, although you are not alone here either. Especially backpacker tourists were on the move here, mostly German juniors on work & travel tours.