We had a full day today but it started off with a bit of a disappointment, for me anyway! The first port of call was going to be the site of filming Hobbiton in the Lord of the Rings Trilogy but we discovered on arrival at the office in Matamata that it would mean going on a coach journey with a bus full of bored looking Chinese people to a private farm where the village was alledged to be. We decided to pass on that, not having the 4-5 hours it would take to spare.
On then to book into the motel at Rotorua, and then to the recently opened Skyline Cableway and Luge run, up a mountain on the outskirts of Rotorua. If you are ever in Rotorua this is a must. You go up in a gondola, go down the mountain on a luge run (plastic trollies with rudimentary steering and breaks, on a concrete runway), returning to the top on a ski lift. The luge run is EXCELENT – if you elect to take two runs you start on a ‘nursery slope’, being promoted to a much faster track on the second run. It really is great fun!
Much more sedate was our guided tour of the hot springs and geysers of the Maori village on the hot springs site. Then back to the motel for take-away fish and chips.
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- Gollum of Lord of the Rings fame
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- Di desperately trying to be brave but fooling no one!
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- Banzai!
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- Me and my Louge come back up.
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- The compulsory view of Rotorua from the top of the Skyline Cableway.
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- I know there isn’t an ‘e’ in it but it’s close!
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- All together now …..’Tewhakare …….’
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- Sediment from boiling springs which litter the site.
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- Now I know how to make my own Maori skirt!
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- …and it went off just as our guide got us there! There must be a button somewhere.
The luge looks a bit too exciting for me Mike!
I like the Froude Street sign, did you find it by accident?
Good timing with the geyser blowing its top! We can smell the sulpher (or think
we can!) even from here.