Rotorua, like Queenstown, is one of those places in New Zealand that is outside the big four of Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch and Dunedin,  but is nevertheless known around the world for its unique charactertistics – namely its geothermal activity.

In the days that we visited with the children it was possible to fill a spa with geothermal naturally heated water and sit in it until we were prunes. These days, there is the realisation that even geothermal steam is finite and should be conserved.

The first impression that one has of Rotorua is the odour from the hydrogen sulphide emissions. It has the sulphur smell of rotten eggs, but one soon becomes inured to that. There is plenty to see and do in Rotoroua – Pohutu Geyser at Whakarewarewa is a must, along with the boiling mud, etc. Then there’s water sports on the lake and an insight into New Zealand farming at the agrodome at Ngongotaha.

For further information, see:

http://www.rotoruanz.com/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rotorua
http://www.agrodome.co.nz/

And now the haiku:

Rotorua

Rotorua fumes
spilling sulphur into air.
Lots of bubbling mud.