Birthday in Rotorua

     Our next stop was Rotorua. It was a long day of driving from Wellington, but along the way we enjoyed some beautiful scenery.

Lake Taupo

 

     And Steve relaxed...

Geothermal
     Rotorua is a hub of activity in a variety of ways. For one thing, it's New Zealand's Yellowstone in that it is filled with geothermal activity, including geysers and mud pools. The whole city radiates a strong sulfur smell. We visited the Whakarewarewa Geothermal Valley and took a tour of the region known as Te Puia.

Silica Terraces

Erupting geyser

Bubbling mud pools.

 

Nearby Huka Falls 

A Taste of Maori Culture
     Rotorua was the part of our tour where we learned a bit about Maori culture -- including eating a traditional prepared Hangi meal which included lamb, chicken, and sweet potatoes slow cooked beneath the earth using hot stones. We enjoyed a traditional concert, watching the Haka dance (the one with the pop-out eyes and wagging tongues), and a tribal canoe battle re-enactment.

Hangi

 

Sheep!
     Our tour also included a visit to the Rotorua Agrodome to learn about New Zealand's sheep industry. Although this was a very touristy stop, it was still impressive to see 19 different varieties of sheep on stage and watch sheep-shearing and border collie herding demos.

Merino -- the gold standard in NZ sheep!

Lincoln sheep

Doesn't look too comfy.
 

Birthday Boy

     But most important of all in Rotorua was celebrating Steve's birthday!!! Wednesday, November 7th started out nicely with Steve taking a few swings over Lake Rotorua. While he didn't get a hole-in-one, his form was impressive. At 74, he's still got it!

     Later at dinner he was happily surprised.

 

Happy Birthday Stevie!!!