As our last stop in NZ, we’ve decided to go to Rotorua. Rotorua is well known for their geo-thermal activity which manifests itself all over town in the form of steaming pits, bubbling mud, and even a few geysers. Rotorua is also known for being very heavily populated by people of Maori culture — and therefore has several cultural performances for tourists.
The steaming pits in Rotorua are truly fun and captivating to watch — and it’s so neat to think that heat is coming up through the earth’s crust and boiling water. In fact, locals have even figured out how to heat their homes with what they call “geothermal heating.” The neat thing is that these steam pits are all over town, some used for commercial places (like the Polynesian Spa), some used for heating homes, and some just for public enjoyment in local city parks.
Here are some pictures (and even a couple of videos) of our first few days in Rotorua. More to come as we finish out our time here:
Stay on the path!
Dan poses in front of one of the steaming pools
Bubbling steaming mud — smells like sulfur!
The old Rotorua Bath House — which operated as a geothermal spa from 1908 to 1966.