Greetings,
We find ourselves in Taupo now, having driven a short ways from Rotorua this morning.
This batch of images contains some colour (per request). The building with the red roof is an Edwardian bath house (now the museum of Rotorua). You can tour the grounds, a bit of the roof and even some of the ancient piping underneath. It was used as one of the first tourist attractions of its day in all of New Zealand calling Edwardian men and ladies to its baths for various restorative and aesthetic benefits. The pic of refracted light comes from within the roof of the structure.
Most of Rotorua is dotted with steaming vents from active and sulfurous holes. These extend to any property, be it public or private, and it is not unusual to see whitened rocks and steam issuing from the backyard of tiny wooden bungalows hither and yon. Those familiar with sulfurous vents and their issuance, will appreciate my inability to transfer their odorous delights to the reader…
Many forests are planted in NZ. Its possible to view ranges on ranges of high hills – mountains almost – all looking as though they’ve had their locks combed; like some slumbering giant with only its head cresting the soil, but having been coifed before sleep. I understand that pines and other introduced species here grown incredibly fast, and that many of the planted forests we’ve observed have actually already been harvested once or twice following initial reforestation.
Its late and I have an eight-hour hike tomorrow across the shoulder of a volcano. Must get in some rest for *that*.
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