I caught the bus from Taupo to Rotarua this morning...and being only an hours journey I arrived with plenty of time to explore my new surroundings. I have a couple of excursions planned for tomorrow, so decided to stay around town today and see what was on offer. It turns out there are bubbling mud pools and steam vents everywhere... The geothermal park I saw the other day was just the tip of the iceberg! That one had larger craters, but here they are everywhere. Steam is even bubbling up through the lake, up the occasional drain and cracks in the pavement! There is stinky pond after stinky pond. And let me assure you, it really does smell pretty bad! There are windows of fresh air (my hostel is nice and odour free), but I was trying to think of a way to describe the smell when you get near the ponds. I think it's like if a dead tuna fish were put out to rot for several days with a heap of seaweed, and then slowly burned (not cooked evenly, so some is still raw and the other side is smoking) you might get something like the smell. Not that I put too much thought into it! Still, it's all pretty fascinating!
I also discovered equally fascinating St Faith's church, it's Anglican, established by missionaries and the Maori people who apparently in this area were happy to accept Christianity. The building that stands today was built in 1914, and its unlike any church I've been to.... In shape much like a European church but fully decked out in Maori carving and pattern. Quite an amazing collision of two cultures. I particularly liked the window of Jesus walking on water, wearing traditional Maori clothes.
I wandered on along the shoreline, saw and smelt more geothermal peculiarities, and enjoyed a spot of live music in a bar, with a drink and a book.
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