No visit to Rotorua would be complete without a trip to Te Whakarewarewa. (Whaka for short, and the ‘Wh’ is pronounced as an ‘F’…true story!) My brother had visited years earlier in high school and was emphatic that the Hangi cooked corn was a must. So funny! The geothermal vents provide heat needed to steam and cook food which is actually quite tasty, but more of a novelty than a must do.
We spent the day visiting the Maori village, checking out the geothermal and cultural sites. There was a performance that included information on traditional Maori clothing, tools, music, and a Haka, which Fazh loved. Our park guide, Sandra, was great, even if she tried to introduce her self at the start of the tour as Te whakarewarewatangaoteopetauaawahiao. (The full name of the site, loosely translated to: The gathering place for the war parties of Wahiao.) And, now you can see why the village is called Whaka by the locals.
Rotorua also provided us with the opportunity to cross a few “must-sees” off of Fazh’s list by visiting the Agrodome. If you’ve been reading all along, you’ll know that he wanted to see a sheep sheering, a kiwi orchard and some logging industry site amongst several other things. Logging was cut before we left. Pun intended. At least the other two were enjoyable. The Agrodome was a thoroughly entertaining day at a fantastic facility. The “sheep show” features 19 different kinds of sheep. The farm is home to all types of animals–working sheep dogs, geese, ducks, Angora goats, llamas, alpacas, red and fallow deer, ostrich and emu. Kiwi and feijoa fruit are grown on the organic farm, as well as apples, mandarin oranges and olives.
Check out the photos, and see for yourself.
Happy travels,
~j