Rotorua, Hobbiton and a lot of hot water and steam.

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The drive from Havelock north where the pottery workshop was to Rotorua was a long one. And it was a busy road for some parts. Like more then 10 cars an hour. Clearly on the busy island. The satellite navigation on my phone works and that is a good thing. Without that driving would have been a nightmare and getting lost a daily thing, now I found the B&B halfway up the mountain without a problem even as it was hiding at the end of a long drive that it shared with a daycare place.

And there where alpaca at the B&B, sweet cuddly alpaca, or okay not so cuddly because on day two I got spit on by one of them. Trust me it hurts, stinks and is sticky mess. Not a good thing but then I was annoying that alpaca by pushing him away so the other four could also eat something. How dare I.

On my drive over did a stop at a hot spring place. at the time I thought it was amazing. After 5 days in Rotorua I realized that the hot springs where coming out of my ears, or the Sulphur stink wasn’t coming out of my hair. Be glad this isn’t smellopictures. Because those hot bubbly mud pools stink. That pretty steaming water? Stinks. The whole town of Rotorua stinks of Sulphur. One place is called hells mouth. Well it is an apt description. Even in summer with about 30 degrees out the water is steaming (because about boiling temperatures), the mud pools are bubbling up with stinking gas and the rocks are steaming as well. I even saw a geyser, or more then one.

Also had time for laugh. All these places have a piece of paper with the names and history and some background info of all the features. They have these guide like things in different languages. Also in Dutch, or what they think is Dutch. It wasn’t. it was gibberish at best. You know how spring in English has different meanings. Like the time of year before summer( if we have one) or a place water comes out of the ground. Well they went for the season of year translation. So this time of year is called bubbly and produces about 1000 liters of hot water a day. Say what? Also words that don’t exist in Dutch or any other language I know.

Tried telling the girls selling the tickets after finishing the tour but they are like. “Yeah those where here when we got here. The Germans complain about their version as well.” But absolutely no action to change it. So now I am allowed to make fun of them.

First full day in Rotorua was Matamata or Hobbiton. It is an amazing place. it looks just like in the movies, as it should because it is the place as in the movies. Only they are really working to keep it looking as in the movies. I got there at the end of a  long hot summer. Everywhere the grass was yellow and dry. Water use restriction all over the place but Hobbiton is green and gets water on a daily basis.

Even the chimneys smoke. Everyday in the morning before the first tour the people working there put a container with woodchips in the chimney and light it to have the smoke. And there a lot of those little details all over the place.

But the organization is like a factory or army maneuver.

I got there by big tour bus from Rotorua, at the ticket office we picked up our guide after being set loose for 15 minutes to spend money in the store.

Then with the guide in the bus we drive over the property of the farmer to Hobbiton. But the ticket office is huge with two café’s  a big store selling everything lord of the rings. There is huge parking place where if you come with your own transport you can park. You buy a ticket and then there are four lines. 0,15,30 and 45. So every 15 minutes a bus leaves and your time is on your ticket. You have to stay with your group, in about 2 hours your guide rushes you around Hobbiton, a short stop for pictures, a short stop on near the party tree you are not allowed to get near anymore, so no dancing underneath the party tree. Then off to the green dragon, one drink in again 15 minutes and then off to the next souvenir shop selling everything Lord of the Rings but also standard New Zealand stuff and back into the bus. A last stop at the ticket place to dump the guide and back to Rotorua.

Is it amazing? Yes. Is it Hobbiton? Yes. Is it a relaxed day? No. Would I have missed it? Hell no.

Other fun things to do near Rotorua, there is an animal park with lions. There is trout farm that is free and fun. There is a mountain with an amazing view. And the food is amazing.

And Rotorua is one of the biggest Maori places so this is where the cultural things are. And since I am a tourist I don’t mind playing tourist. So off to the maori hangi I went. A cultural evening with song dance, a short waka ( canoe trip) and food cooked in the ground by thermal energy. Even some glowworms and again a fresh spring ( the water from ground kind). Fun yes, educational? Hardly.