My trip to White Island volcano was cancelled due to high wind so I left Whakatane bound for Rotorua. Last night there was another earth tremor in Whakatane whcih shook my hotel room and was quite scary I don’t mind telling you! Turns out that Gisborne on the East coast suffered a large earthquake 6.8 on the richter scale and that’s what we felt in Whakatane. Arriving into Rotorua I stopped at Hells’ Gate – a geothermal area of hot bubbling pools of sulphur and boiling mud. For a small fee you can dip yourself into the sulphur and spread noxious mud all over yourself before taking a very cold shower and floating in more sulphurous water which feels like it’s boiling you alive! I paid my money and did all of those things – and by the end of my 40 minutes in Hell I felt a bit light headed – but at least my skin feels soft!Rotorua is how I remembered it from early November, it is a little warmer this time though. I have a free day here to wander about, I may go to the Polynesian Spa, but maybe not – will let you know!Update – I didn’t go to the spa! When I got to the YHA I had some basked beans for tea then sat on a sofa and soon was talking to an older lady from Edinburgh who had plenty of stories to tell about her life and travels – I couldn’t get away! I had some help from a chap I had seen in Australia at one of the hostels so recognising him I got talking to him too and before long the three of us were sharing stories and photos. I noticed the next morning that the scottish lady had latched onto another poor bloke and was telling him stories – she is quite sweet though!It’s probably a good thing I didn’t go to the spa, my skin still stinks of sulphur from the Hells Gate experience and it’s turned my silver jewellry black – bummer!Off to find some Hobbits today at Matamata …..
