We arrived here this morning and if we hadn’t seen the signs at the edge of town, the smell would have been a giveaway - hydrogen sulphide, alias bad eggs! Not so much that you’d need a gas mask, like yesterday, but still very distinct.
Lake Rotorua is just one of several lakes contained within an old crater rim. The area is one of the world’s most important geothermal region where boiling mud pools, geyser spouts and steam are the norm.
We spent early afternoon at Whakarewarewa, a village populated by Maoris and dominated by the heat generated below the surface. Heated water is directed into baths where it cools ready for bathing in the late afternoon. It also heats the houses when necessary and is used for cooking food.
The village inhabitants have used the vulcanicity within their village and also their traditional way of life to their advantage in other ways too. They have set up guided tours for the likes of us.
The great meeting house is very beautiful and all of the carvings tell a story.
Concerts are also put on where the performers dance and sing.
Jean
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