Yesterday we woke up in Rotorua, and decided to find out what the "rotten egg" smell was all about! Rotorua is a huge geothermal area. We headed out to Waiotapu to take the "tour". We arrived just in time to watch Lady Knox Geyser erupt. It was hysterical...tons of tourists anxiously awaiting the eruption! They actually pour some "soap powder" down the vent to get it to erupt. Let's just say, it was no Old Faithful.
We stayed just long enough to watch her erupt...then raced off to beat the crowd to the other parts of the park.
The park is actually very beautiful. A mixture of sulfur crusted pits, jade-colored ponds, and mud pools. You basically hike through it all, and sometimes over the top of it...for about an hour.
We then drove across country to Waitomo to await our glowworm tour in the morning. Stayed at a great little B&B...the owner recommended a hike around the caves. We basically got to peek into the caves we will be tubing down later....
The caves are part of an ancient seabed that was lifted and then eroded into an underground landscape of limestone formations and caverns. Spooky in the dark!
The best part is the glowworms. Last night we grabbed flashlights and went back to the caves in the dark. You may have to use your imagination, but you should see what looks like stars. The glowworm is a larvae measuring 1-2 inches that live on cave ceilings. They snare prey by dangling sticky filaments, which trap insects attracted to the light the worm emits. It looks like the night sky in miniature. In an hour...we will put on wetsuits, helmets and headlamps....sit on a inner tube and take a tour of the dark caves. Can't wait! On to Aukland tonight to have dinner with Bill and Carolyn....we must swap NZ stories!
that sounds scary and fun all at the same time!
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