The One with the Bad Smell and the Gerbil Ball

Next stop on the whistle stop tour of North Island is Rotorua. You truly can smell it before you see it, the sulphur bad egg smell hits you as you drive down the hill, but you soon get used to it, and to be honest I have been around worse.

We arrived at lunchtime on the 28th and headed straight to Te Puia, one of the geothermal sites, home to the Pohuta and Prince of Wales Feathers Geysers, several sets of mudpools, and a fantastic Mauri Cultural Show, where we saw the Haka, and the women danced with Poi (balls on a string!)

That evening we went for a Hangi - think Peruvian Pachamancha, but more sterilised! On our coach ride in we paddled the woka (coach) on to the motorway, chanting Te Woka - HEE!! at the tops of our voicces. We must have looked a right sight.

Rod was chosen as the chief of our tribe and taught to honga (press noses together - the Mauri welcome) He joined 3 other Chiefs as we waited to welcomed by the Maori tribe.

The Maori are one of the only people who welcome you with an act of intimidation to gauge whether you are friend or foe. This involves a lot of tongue poking, wide eyes and gutaral sounds. The warrior places a branch in front of a chosen chief (chief chief if you like) - Rod was chosen by the warrior and had to pick up the branch as a symbol of peace. We were then invited into the village.

We had another performance of the traditional Maori dances and songs, and then went into dinner, which had all been cooked underground on stones (just like the Pachamancha - althought this time you didn't get to watch it get dug up and it had been cooked in stainless steel trays not wrapped in leaves!)

The food was good, and then we paddled back to the hotel (not before Larry the driver led us in a rendition of "She'll be coming round the Mountain when she comes", combined with going round a mini roundabout 4 times!!!)

The next day we went to Wai-O-Tapu (amusingly known as the thermal wonderland!). This time we saw the Lady Knox Geyser (set off daily with the help of soap!), and a whole load of mud pools and thermal pools generally all named after something to do with the devil. The devils bath, ink pots, palette etc!

From here we drove back to central to Rotorua to Zorb.

Imagine if you like, a giant gerbil ball, add a bucket of cold water, 2 people and a hill, and you have zorbing. The ultimate adventure, and really makes you empathise with a pair of socks in a washing machine.

So much fun, you whoosh about uncontrollably, (you are loose inside the ball), and of course are completely soaked by the time you reach the bottom!

We then dried off and went to the Agrodome to watch a sheep show (just to make Rod feel at home!), which again was very amusing.

After a fully packed day we jumped back in the car and drove to Whakatane (Wh is pronounced F)