Rotorua, 1 [warning: contains sulfites]

We were two days in Rotorua--the natives call it, for reasons not well understood, at least by me, RotoVegas--first at the Top 10 Holiday Park out by the airport, and then at the free camping aire by the Polynesian Spa on the lake. Mostly we just walked the downtown and the major parks. I've yet to encounter a NZ town that wasn't in some sense interesting, and RotoRooter, as I call it, is very interesting, once you get used to the omnipresent choking sulfurous fumes. Part of the interest is that RotoRooter is like putting all of Yellowstone's seismic/thermal stuff in an urban setting, not in a national park in the middle of the wilderness. Last time we were here, we stayed at a downtown campground that advertised "heated" campsites. Everything in Rotorua is heated, just above the immense cauldron below.

The downtown aire, 12 free spots, in a park sandwiched between the
Polynesian Spa and Government Gardens; thank you, Rotorua

Scenic, but don't go in for a dip in the thermal fountain

Ditto; RotoRooter probably has the lowest urban property values
in NZ; also, I speculate, the lowest number of town drunks,
since they must nightly disappear into the bubbling pits; talk
about getting stewed!

Out for a walk on the thermal area by the lake; stay on the
marked path!

Birds feasting on poached fish

Rounding a bend, we emerge at the former Bath House, part of
the original 19th century resort, perhaps the most beautiful
building in NZ, now the Rotorua Museum

Alas! Closed until further notice...not earthquake-worthy; click
to enlarge and read; oh well

Disappointment

Tiring of New Zealand, we caught the first plane back to Klamath
Falls...

Vine vs post (look closely)

In the (highly acidic) rose garden

An impressive waka

Seaplane on the lake

At the Hobbiton shoppe

We'll be riding the bus to Hobbiton soon enough (Matamata
is not all that far away)

Beautiful wall carving...at the McDonald's

At least two of these "adventure" shoppes in
RotoRooter; where, for a price, they lock you
in a room and you have to figure out the story
and how to get out...

Rotorua city library...moving to a new building, selling
everything they didn't want to take...

Two days early and not enough suitcase space