ROTORUA

Rotorua is somewhat central in the North Island and is clearly the center of tourist activities for the region, including many hot springs and volcanic areas and sites of native Maori villages.

We walked through the Wai O Tapu Geothermic Wonderland that included one pool (or a pond for you, Carl) that had an acidity level almost that of battery acid. Lots of sites with gas escaping, boiling mud, etc. It turns out the smell of the earth’s underbelly was not all that different that of a human.

And here’s a quick snapshot of a Maori Warrior we bumped into. O.K., he was on his way to a reenactment performance we attended, but still…