Franz Josef - Rotorua - Nelson and back to Auckland

I don't really have time to tell my travels over the last few days, so I will just say that the pictures start from the bottom in Franz Josef at the Glacier that I could not go on because the heavy rains had washed away the track! I put a pic on of our road that had a big land slide of trees and debris on it at a place called Haast and we had to wait 4 hours before we could move on from there! And man when I got to Franz Josef and it was raining I was so sad coz I really wanted to walk on that glacier, that would have been cool!

From there I popped in on a place called Nelson near Picton in the north of the south island, I just put a pic in of the Cathedral and of the harbour for the one. Then I put a pic in of my ferrie passing another ferrie on the way from Picton back to Wellington.

Then to Rotorua where I went to see what some of the volcanic activity in this country has caused, loads of gysers and mud pools and gorges. Really cool. Will write more next time. Also in Rotorua I went for a spa in the lovely hot volcanic spa pools, it was a Polynesian spa, lovely, outdoors. And then I went for a Hangi and to watch a Maouri concert which was ace.

Now I am back in Auckland, just met up with my friend Kathleen. Will pick up the rest of my luggage and in about 12 hours I head for South Africa!

Later
Sylv x

PS!
Ok for those who would like a bit more information in Rotorua I went to 'Wai-O-Tapu' (Sacred Waters) which is New Zealand's most colourful and diverse volcanic area. In some of the pools, lakes, craters, steam vents, mineral terraces and tracks you find lots of tints and hue. I have a picture of the Lady Knox Geyser on here and she erupts daily and reaches heights up to 20 metres (lovely tourist pull!). As well as this sight there are numerous other pools and even boiling mud pools all brought about from a volcanic eruption.

I also went on the Waimangu Volcanic Valley tour, The waimangu was brought about by -
1886 Tarawera volcano erupts, Lake Rotomahana explodes to 20 times its original size and Pink and White terraces are destroyed. All plant and bird life is extinguished.
1900 The Waimangu Geyser erupts, the largest ever recorded geyser blasts black scalding water, rocks, sand and steam 400 metres into the sky. The eruptions continue for 4 years until November 1904. Four visitors and killed in 1903 when disregarding a guides warning they wandered too close to the geyser. In 1917 huge blasts from Frying Pan Lake, the largest hot water spring in the word. These basts race up the crater walls, destroying a nearby accomodation house. The owner's wife and child die from the injuries. After this, conditions are perfect for plant and bird life to begin. (My own personal words - the place is gorgeous especially the blue blue pool, so blue its like a sea of sky)

My last experience in NZ was to go to a proper Maori concert and Hangi. I went to the 'Tamaki Maori Village' where we were welcomed on to the Marae which is a sacred building for the Maori. There is a lot of warrior like movements and chantings and tongue sticking out and then we are welcomed in to the concert. Please note - the rain was torrential that night! The concert was very emotional, they really sang from their hearts, I was blown away by their passion and patriotism. It was so sweet. And I got a shot at one of the dances they do with the white pom poms on the string, should have got a photo of that sorry!

The hangi is an age old traditional cooking method of the Maori. The food is under the earth on hot rocks for 3 to 4 hours, the rocks are heated toa white hot state with some of the native timber. The baskets of meat are put directly on the hot stones, then the vegetable baskets and then the pudding basket on top of that. A wet cloth is placed over the food followed by wet hessian. Earth is then piled quickly over everything to keep the heat inside the earth oven. The food, is delicious, its like a lovely roast!