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

White Island

Driving on, we were within sight of White Island and its neighbor, Whale Island. White Island, some 28k off the coast, is notable as NZ's (currently) most active volcano.

Whale Island

Another pretty bay

White Island

Now driving toward Rotorua, an inland reminder we are now in
volcano country

Grand-Father Of Pohutukawas

The largest of all pohutukawa trees (the famous NZ Christmas tree) is in Te Araroa, just up the coast from East Cape. The whole east coast is covered in old pohutukawas that were a delight to see, even in their non-flowering mode.

Another incredibly rich vein of driftwood

The bay at Te Araroa

The Big Pohutukawa

Driving on, looking at the old trees

It's not all arboreal splendor in New Zealand

Here are some of the worst clear cuts we've ever seen

East Cape, 2

Continuing our East Cape/sunrise adventure...

Looking back from the shelf

Looking toward the setting sun

At the first sign of rising tide, I hastened back to the camper

We drove on another mile or so and stopped at a lay-by above
the shelf

 

Next morning...the clouds to the east were thick, very thick,
and I doubt that anyone saw the sun that morning

Nonetheless we did get to see first light, dawn's rosy fingers,
before almost anyone else on the planet...on March 7th, 2018

 

Environs

And we proceeded on