17/12/2017 - Rotorua, you stink!

Since we arrived in Rotorua yesterday, we could use today to explore the city extensively. Rotorua is located on the North Island Volcanic Plateau. The closer you drive towards the city center, the stronger the smell of sulfur becomes. This strong smell of rotten eggs was sometimes really overwhelming. You can also see steam rising around the city center. But these volcanic activities also create exciting and beautiful natural spectacles. Just outside the city, there are several geothermal parks that you can visit for a fee. In addition, the city has a very vibrant Maori community. They make up about 35% of the total population of Rotorua. So if you want to learn more about their culture, you have plenty of opportunities to do so in the city.

Today, we decided to start at the Kuirau Park, which is located in the city center. The park is free to visit and offers various curious natural spectacles of these volcanic activities. So we walked along the path and passed bubbling mud pools, steaming lakes, and boiling hot, crystal-clear waters. It gives you a somewhat eerie feeling to stand in a place where so many underground activities still take place.

But New Zealand's most active volcano is not on the main islands, but is located on White Island - about 50 kilometers away from the North Island. The last eruption was in 2001.

We gradually reached the highlight of Kuirau Park. One of the crater lakes was particularly large, and we soon found ourselves completely covered in fog on the shore. What is exciting about this is that a bridge has been built across the lake, allowing you to get very close to the water. But eventually, we started getting headaches from the smell and the fumes, so we decided to move on.
The next destination of the day was the Redwood Forest. These trees, which are atypical for New Zealand, were planted here in the early 20th century. Originally, several types of trees were planted here to find out which ones are particularly suitable for building timber. What is left of it can be visited for free in this forest today. In addition to various mountain bike trails, there is a slightly, in our opinion, overpriced suspension bridge path over the forest floor, or various hiking routes. We decided to take a hiking trail that leads to a beautiful viewpoint. The name of the trees says it all - the trunks shine in a beautiful red color due to the sunlight. We enjoyed the walk through the forest and soon arrived at the viewpoint. The special thing is that from here you have a nice view of a thermal park that charges admission. So we could watch a geyser erupt without having to pay an entrance fee. ;)
The way back to the car led us past these big, majestic trees again.
The last destination for today was a 3D art gallery. After a short introduction by an employee, our creativity was required. The photographer positioned himself at a marked spot, and from a certain angle, most of the wall paintings create an exciting 3D effect. After some initial difficulties regarding the perfect angle and positioning, we got the hang of it. We switched roles for each picture, and more and more funny pictures were created. Since we arrived about an hour before closing time, we had the entire exhibition to ourselves. The motifs were very detailed and varied. So Tobi suddenly sat on a geyser, and I climbed with panda bears! The last picture, of Neuschwanstein Castle, was particularly impressive as it filled both a wall and the entire floor. Our verdict: Since we got discounted tickets through a website, we accepted this offer - we probably wouldn't have gone in for the regular price. Nevertheless, the motifs were very funny and beautifully designed.
Afterwards, we only went back to the campsite, had dinner, and disappeared into the van.