Leaving Taupo early this morning to make an appointment at Wai-O-Tapu. A geyser is due to blow it's top at 10:15am. The geyser goes off daily at this time, kept on schedule by the timely addition of a little surfactant.
Further at Wai-O-Tapu the "Thermal Wonderland" we get to see heaps of craters full of streaming water and bubbling crude oil, shallow pools of unusually coloured water, and cascading mineral filled streams. And who can forget the toxic benzene gas and putrid sulphur dioxide filling the air. Did you enjoy yourself Kate?
Needing some fresh air, we continue on to Rotorua. For our hit of New Zealand native wildlife we visit Rainbow springs Wildlife Park. I can highly recommend this small native animal zoo. Reminiscent of Healesville Sanctuary, VIC only much smaller. However, the size difference suits the comparitive number of species in New Zealand. If you are unfamiliar, New Zealand basically has lots birds, plenty of fresh water fish, and a few lizards, but that's just about it.
Following the trend of tourist trap photos, Rainbow Springs offers a souvenir photo service. The curious thing here is that they amatuerishly photoshop kiwis or lizards onto your shoulders or hands. Needless to say, we did not purchase the photo.
Included in the entry price is an essential after dark return visit. You see, Kiwi are nocturnal creatures, they only come out at night. The park also takes on a current character at night. The fish ponds, streams, and waterfalls are lit by dim lighting.
This night we return to our camper park, where unfortunately the wind had changed. Bringing the sulphorous odour with it, just in time for bed.
