We've just come to the end of a hectic day and a half in Rotorua. We arrived at lunchtime yesterday and went straight to the thermal village of Whakarewarewa. This village is inhabited by 65 Maoris who still follow the Maori way of life. Our guide took us on an interesting and informative tour of the village which included viewing the Prince of Wales and Pohuta geysers. We also watched a show given by the locals. We completed our "Maori" day with a visit to the Mitai Village for a Hangi dinner and a traditional cultural performance. Hangi is the method of cooking using the thermal springs and steam rising from them. The food is put in an "oven" on the ground and left to cook using the natural heat. Food is also wrapped in muslin and boiled in the hot pools. The evening finished with a short walk to see the glow worms in the bush.
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| Prince of Wales and Pohutu Geysers |
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| Thernal Activity in Whakarewarewa Village |
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| Maori Show |
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| Thermal lakes from viewpoint above village |
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| Hangi Dinner Cooking |
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| Cultural Performance |
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| Maori canoe going down the stream |
I just love the Maori music. The thermal lakes are amazing.
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