Volcano

11th November 2009 Time to explore Rotorua, famous for its sulphur smell, thermal springs and Maori culture. We headed to Wai-o-Tapu Thermal Wonderland which is part of a Scenic Reserve and has the largest area of surface thermal activity in the Taupo Volcanic Zone. This is a highly active volcanic area in the North Island of New Zealand. The Wai-o-Tapu Reserve is literally covered with collapsed craters, cold and boiling pools of mud, water and steaming fumaroles (vent in Earth’s crust). The area is associated with volcanic activity dating back about 160,000 years. ...

29th October 2009 This morning we made the short walk from Parnell to the Auckland museum, about 15 minutes away. This museum houses a large number of Maori items, as well as having a Maori Cultural Show several times a day, which we purchased ticket for. We were summoned through to the main Maori exhibition by people dressed in traditional Marori attire where we were given a brief introduction and then led through to a small auditorium with a stage. ...

28th October 2009 The weather was looking much better today so we decided to make the most of it and get up early and catch the first ferry across to Rangitoto Island. Rangitoto sits just off the Auckland coast and is a unique volcanic island with a fascinating landsacpe of rugged lava crops, native bush and sandy coves. These days there is no permanent population living on the island and it is a public nature reserve. ...