The Healing Waters of Rotorua’s GeoThermal Hot Pools

IMG_3460Imagine yourself sitting in the natural waters of a geothermal hot pool, surrounded by lush green majestic trees and a waterfall cascading beside you. Soaking up warmth into your body, healing, relaxing, purifying.

Geothermal hot pools like this abound in New Zealand‘s Volcanic Zone in and around the town of Rotorua. Just a 3 hour drive from Auckland, this elegant, beautiful ‘hot spot’ is tucked in the lush area of the North Island’s east coast, known as the lake district (also including area down to Taupo).

The town itself literally sits in the crater of an active volcano, creating the abundance of geothermal activity in the area. Sights such as geysers, mud pools and hot pools abound. Where the earth bubbles, boils, spits and oozes offering a plethora of unique sights to behold.

IMG_0268You can explore the town and surrounding area, finding many public hot pools to enjoy, some regulated by private parties and charging admission (Blue Baths, Polynesian Spa, Hell’s Gate and Waikite Vallley Thermal Pools), while other spots have been left natural and available to the public free of charge (such as Kuirau Park, Kerosene Creek and Waiotapu Stream).

IMG_0247When we were there, we ventured to Kerosene Creek, as we thought it would be a neat experience to be in a natural environment. We were not opposed to paying to enjoy the waters somewhere else, but thought that experiencing the pool in a natural environment would be a lovely experience. Plus our hostess at the Tuck Inn, where we were staying, a beautiful farm tucked in the lush New Zealand landscape, recommended we go there.

I was a little nervous at first, it was a little off the beaten track and there weren’t a lot of people around. When we arrived at the parking lot, we decided to just get out and take a walk first, check things out, and if it didn’t meet our expectations then we would head back to the Waikite Hot Pools, which weren’t that far down the road.

It was a beautiful spot, lush native bush with the creek running through. You could walk along the path beside the creek, discovering various pools along the way where you could pop in for a soak. We did meet a few other people who were enjoying the waters and I started to relax a little. The best spot was a large pool at the base of a waterfall. Easy to get down to and large enough for quite a number of people.

IMG_3455The kids all wanted to get in, I was still unsure. Was it safe, what if someone came by and grabbed our stuff? Plus it was a little nippy outside, I was not looking forward to stripping down even though it would be warm in the end.

Finally, I decided we might as well. So we grabbed our suits and got everyone changed. Matthew was in first and floating around, then D’Wayne ready to receive the twins once I got them ready. It wasn’t too deep, the twins could easily stand up safely in some areas of the pool. I quickly changed myself and got in with everyone else.

Oh my! It was absolutely lovely. I felt all my troubles and stress melt away almost immediately. The sand beneath my feet was warm and felt good between my toes. You had to be careful though, if you dug your feet in under the sand it could get quite hot, almost burning.

We splashed and played in the pool for 45 minutes, almost having the entire place to ourselves. A few others drifted by, and a few got in towards the end of our time. It was heavenly and so relaxing! We could have stayed longer but we wanted to also check out the mud pool and were getting hungry as well. Everyone felt relaxed yet revitalized and ready for the next adventure.

IMG_0264We hopped out and changed quickly, now that was a little nippy! But felt great! We snapped a few more pictures on our way back to the car, and then ventured off to the Mud Pool.

The Mud Pool was super cool. And was actually only a short 5 minute drive down the road near the Waiotapu Thermal Wonderland (also the home to the Lady Knox Geyser and a plethora of trails and other thermal sites to see). The Thermal Wonderland does have an admission fee, but the Mud Pool is just outside of this area.

IMG_0267It was amazing. Mud literally spurting, spitting and bubbling. The smell is also fantastic! That lovely rotten egg smell of hydrogen sulfide, which is well known throughout Rotorua (though I did find that depending on the area depended on how strong the smell was, some hardly noticable or not so bad, the mud pool was definitely the worst!)

There is a little boardwalk to view the mud pool from, as well as a short trail to take you up above to look down upon the pool below. It was just fascinating.

The mud and hot pools are enough to keep you busy for a number of days. Just enjoying the natural wonders of this area. But Rotorua and the surrounding valley is also rich in Maori culture (the indigenous people of New Zealand) and history, dating back hundreds of years. As a result there are lots of things to experience and see around this, such as The Living Thermal Village, the Buried Village TeWairoa and Te Puia.

Rotorua is so rich in these experiences, we wanted to do them all, but since we were only there for a short time we had to pick and choose a little. Te Puia called to us the most (and turns out has the most fantastic geyser), and was an absolutely fabulous experience! And one that I will share with you in my next post.

Travelling to Middle Earth

IMG_0718The Shire, home of the enchanting hobbits that have warmed our hearts and made us smile. These delightful people with whom we have shared adventures in the place that started it all. The Hobbiton movie set, a definite must see when travelling to New Zealand and the site where The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit Trilogies were filmed.

Constructed on a the spectacular private Alexander farm near Matamata, this spectacular 1250 acre sheep and beef farm was the perfect setting for the Shire. Now Hobbiton is a (tourist) site not to be missed! It is a beautiful and eloquent journey as you are drawn into the magic of Middle Earth.

IMG_3561This 2 hour guided walking tour, whisks you away as soon as you board the bus to go down to the set, becoming immersed in the lush green rolling hills, literally descending into a part of Middle Earth. Entering a magical world, where you expect hobbits to be present, running, playing and tending to their gardens.

Originally the Shire, when constructed for the first trilogy, was made of cardboard and styrofoam, (as it was not intended to remain there permanently) and was actually dismantled afterwards. But with the revival of the set for The Hobbit, it was decided that the set would be built into a more permanent structure that would last for years to come.

39 Hobbit holes were created with untreated timber, ply and polystyrene. Eloquent little houses distributed throughout the Shire. Complete with Bag End and the large oak tree that overlooks it.

IMG_0667I was super impressed with what they had created and the attention to detail in the set, from hobbit holes to chimneys and accessories, like wheel barrels and lightposts. Most of the Hobbit holes you could not actually enter and were used for outside shots only, but there were a few that you could step in through the door, turn around and get a sense of what it would be like looking outside at Hobbiton from inside your own little hobbit hole.

IMG_0632The houses were just the right size for Luke and Chloe, who were peeking in the windows and asking where all the hobbits were, as they certainly expected them to be there. We kept telling them they were out for lunch and would be back. Of course, they kept asking when.

Our tour guide was fabulous, a wealth of information, sharing how some houses were built to different percentage scales (sizes), making it feasible to get the shots they wanted in the film, with the humans being the ‘right size’. I did find though that even with two hours, our tour guide moved a little fast for me, telling us to take our time and take as many pictures as we wanted, yet moving on ahead and not waiting for the entire group to catch up before he started talking about the next part. I understand he likely had to do this because of time, but it would have been nice if he told us, so we could choose what was more important, pictures or information!

IMG_3555There is so much of the set to see and enjoy, or even just spend time soaking up the atmosphere, sitting on a bench and imagining. You really feel like you are there, and avid fans can picture scenes as you wander by and what was happening there. My favorite had to be the festival field, where Bilbo Baggins birthday celebration takes place as well as the Green Dragon Inn. The Green Dragon is very well done, and you can enjoy a bevvie or a bite to eat, while sitting by the cozy fireplace for a bit soaking up the atmosphere. Or even book it for your own private function! Part of your tour includes a complimentary ginger beer, Strongfarthing ale or cider, so there is an opportunity to sit and enjoy, for at least a little bit.

IMG_0662Near the end of our tour, we walked back from the Green Dragon to get a peek at three new Hobbit holes, not yet seen on film but may be appearing in the third Hobbit movie. (And we got to see them first! Love having the inside scoop!)

We boarded the bus back to The Shire’s Rest, where all tours begin, feeling satisfied and like we had definitely been part of something unique and magical.

IMG_4375The price of the tour itself I did find a little steep, $75 for adults (with reduced rates for youth, children and infants). But when we knew we were going to New Zealand and planned to go to Hobbiton we looked ahead online and absorbed our shock at home, having time to plan and digest the cost. We decided we were going (there was no question) so we accepted that’s what it would cost to go and went, we weren’t missing it!

It is not the most interesting tour for children, especially if they have not seen or have no concept of the The Lord Of The Rings books/ films. But it’s doable. I would also say it really depends on your children. I thought mine would be fabulous and attentive as we had gone on tours before, but on this particular day we were having a bit of a rough bout, and all of them were acting up. But once they became more engaged with looking for Hobbits and checking out the props (Chloe using the wheel barrel and sweeping, Luke and Matthew ‘chopping’ wood) they became more entertained and tolerant of moving and then stopping and listening to the information. They also loved peeking inside the houses looking for Hobbits and of course, really enjoyed their ginger beer towards the end of our tour.

IMG_0596It is a very busy place and a big tourist attraction. With tours running every half hour between 9 am and 3 pm daily. You can show up on site and book your tour, or book your tour in advance. There are also combo tours offered with evening dinner or tours including transport from Matamata or Rotorua. If you want to amp it up a little you can find some lovely farmstays nearby which include fabulous New Zealand fare as well as a tour of Hobbiton.

However you design your visit to Hobbiton, there is no doubt that you will be drawn into the magical world of Middle Earth and the eloquence of the Shire, looking around for Hobbits yourselves.