Monday, August 18, 2014

Hell's Gate .......

New Zealand, as a country is located on the “Ring of Fire” where the earth is always in a state of upheaval. This is no more evident than in Rotorua on New Zealand's volcanic plateau where geothermal activity is pronounced including erupting hot water, steaming fumaroles, mud pools and hot geothermal springs.

THE BEAST

Hells Gate Geothermal Park is set in 50 acres with a large variety of thermal features. Walk past steaming fumeroles and hot pools of boiling MUD so violent they are unnerving. Follow the footsteps of ancient Maori Warriors through the swirling clouds of steam, past the hot pool where the Maori Princess “Hurutini” lost her life, see the violent geothermal activity of the Inferno and the Kakahi Falls, the largest hot waterfall in the Southern Hemisphere.  Here, warriors would bathe in the sulphurous waters to  heal their wounds after battle and remove the “tapu” (sacredness) of war.

Hell's gate is where we head tomorrow after a day at a local school and journey to the northern part of the island.....


My school visit was not quite what I had in mind, but when in Rome ....Auckland Grammar is an all boy's school that covers grades 6-12. It is lovely and the school is built right on the side of Mt Eden. On the Rugby field are huge lava columns and the grass covers the lava flow. I met with two very knowledgeable teachers on the subject of volcanoes , but alas, they were not too keen on me seeing some classes or meeting some of the students. Of course I was seriously the only female around. After that we went up to the northern part of the North Island and visited the coast and the Southern Alps. We saw 800 and 600 year old Kurai trees and ate at a small café that was amazing. Tons of sheep and that was hard not to stop and pet them.....

Back in Auckland for the evening and supper ..... quick night's sleep and now off to Hell's Gate for some more culture and thermal experiences..... maybe a quick dip in a hot spring. Weather will be a bit dicey today.... cold and rainy ... but thermal areas are warmer  so maybe we will be ok...

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