And that's why all my clothes smell like sulfur

First full day at Rotorua! Once again, we were not concerned with getting up early since we had nothing firmly planned for the books. Once we did get up we made our way down to the hotel breakfast and once again it was overpriced and nothing very special (although they did have dim sum and I am starting to really grow found of that). But we are starting to come to terms that, despite the convenience—of which we are huge fans being Petersen males, it makes more since to find a restaurant outside of the hotel; especially if you are looking for the full local experience.

Next we made our way to Hell’s Gate! The area was named by George Bernard Shaw, the Irish playwright when he visited the area and stated that it must be the gates of hell that his theologian colleagues said that he would be passing through if he didn’t change his atheist ways. It always puzzles me when atheists focus so much of their thoughts on religious imagery, but I imagine that is another topic for another blog. Hell’s Gate is a highly active geothermal area in the region that produces boiling pools, hot water lakes and many other eerie phenomena. It his home to the southern hemisphere’s largest hot waterfall and New Zealand’s largest mud volcano – both of which are very impressive to see in person.

 

If St. Peter meets you at the gates of Heaven - Who meets you here?!

It is quite an experience to walk from a green and lush environment right into a barren area smoking from water steaming up from the ground. Then, just as quickly, the trees and grass and flowers decide that it is alright to exist again and you are in a scene that could be described as Eden – to continue with the religious imagery.

I found the waterfall to be particularly mesmerizing. Apparently the Maori warriors would come to the waterfall after battles to heal their physical wounds as well as the spiritual and mental ills that can come with war. It really is a special place – an oasis in the middle of a barren, sulfur infused, landscape. There was a tree growing all around the waterfall that had pink and red flowers that bud very similar to roses but, closer examination shows a much different petal once it is in full bloom.

I would totally hang out here to get myself right - Good call, Maori!

It really was striking, but I didn’t even notice them until I was walking back through the area at the end of the tour. I was too focused on the waterfall itself, and the scene as a whole, to notice the details that made up the entire image. But once I saw them, I was as equally enthralled with their accent as I was of the waterfall centerpiece of this wonderful example of nature – truly beautiful.

Just one more dimension to the beauty of the area.

In addition to the tour of the geothermal activity, Hell’s Gate also offers mud and sulfur spas to rejuvenate and relax. I’ve never much subscribed to the notion of needing such things, but Tyler seemed to be up for getting the full Hell’s Gate experience and the price seemed reasonable, so after we made our way around the geothermal activity tour, we set out to enjoy a mud bath spa and sulfur spa treatment next. It was certainly amusing to see Tyler covered in spa mud from head to toe! I imagine I looked just as amusing too. But we left the phones/cameras in our tub lockers due to concerns of sulfur corroding the metal so you will just have to take my word on that.

Go on! Tell him spas aren't manly!

Once we had sufficiently adjusted our chakras, or whatever we were doing there, we drove up the road a little to the buried village of Te Wairoa. On June 10, 1886 Mount Tarawera erupted in the early hours of the night and covered the surrounding area, including the village of Te Wairoa, in 6 to 7 feet of ash and mud creating New Zealand’s not-quite-as-cool modern era version of Pompeii. I did enjoy the tour and certainly learned a lot about New Zealand’s history, but it wasn’t quite what I had built up in my head so I couldn’t help but feel a little disappointed. Not that it wasn’t worth it – because it was! I just found myself saddened about the loss of the Pink and White Terraces and trying to imaging what they might have looked like, more than I actually enjoyed the archaeology.

June 10, 1886 - Probably wasn't their most favorite day here.

The Pink and White Terraces were formed from a millennia of silica-rich geyser water pouring down the hill slope and slowly depositing the silicates, forming beautiful terrace shaped formations. They were considered to be the Eighth Wonder of the World at the time and thought to be the largest such formations on the planet . . . that is until the eruption of Mount Tarawera destroyed them – Like Mother Nature spending eons creating a beautiful work of art and then, in an instant, saying, ‘Just kidding’ and taking an erasure to it.

Seriously! What I wouldn't have given to see these before they were destroyed.

As it turns out, I was beginning to get sick too, so that may have had something to do with not really enjoying the buried village as much as I thought I would too. But by the time I got to the hotel I was not up for much anything so I turned in early, in the hopes I would beat the sick before it had a chance to fully develop.