Friday - 9 March 2012 - Tauranga - NZ

Friday - 9 March 2012 – Tauranga - New Zealand

A beautiful sunny day with a crispness in the air.  I wake up at 5:45 am and Phil isn’t here --- he is in the Horizons Lounge – 10^th floor at the bow of the ship -- with Dave and Beth.    This is the spot for early birds – coffee and pastry is available every morning by 6:30 am.  

After breakfast – we meet at the dock to disembark and see if we can find a driver for the day.   We are able to negotiate a fare of NZ$70 pp from 9:00 am to 4:00 pm – our driver is Terry.   He is a Kiwi (native to New Zealand) and knows everything  about this area.  The Regatta is docked in Mount Maunganui – an upscale suburb of Tauranga known as “The Mount” – very much a summer resort.    Since we are in their autumn season it is relatively quiet.

Terry tells us Tauranga is the 5^th largest city in NZ with a population of 125,000 – this area is known as the Bay of Plenty –named by Captain Cook in 1769 because he was able to trade with the natives two pigs for water and other provisions to get him on his way.

We are driving about an hour to Rotorua --- known as a geothermal wonderland with bubbling mud pools – ponds of mineral water spewing steam and geysers  erupting on a regular basis.  Since the 1800’s visitors have come to partake of these rejuvenating therapies.  We will also visit an inhabited Maori village with active geo- thermal activity. 

On the drive we learn that the Maori people came to NZ 1300 years ago from Tahiti and Hawaii – and still have a major influence in New Zealand.   Most Maori people are Methodist as a result of the Methodists missionaries who populated the area many years ago.   Maori are also Mormons – due to their interest in genealogy and Ratana – a religion based on teachings by a prophet of the same name.

We make a stop in Te Puke (pronounced Tepawki)  at Kiwi 360 – a kiwi vineyard  -- Terry educates us on the growing and harvesting of Kiwi fruit.   Samples of the fruit and a variety of juices and wines are available inside the shop. 

We continue to Rotorua – passing several beautiful large lakes --  Green Lake has the most unique story since it has a Tapu (curse) on it.  During the time the British were using their gunpower to take land from the Maori – who did not have guns -- women and children living in a village on Green Lake were murdered so the Maori put a Tapu on the lake – this lake has not been used since.  It is only for looking at.    The Maori also put a Tapu on a section of beach where a drowning has occurred until the body is recovered – no one uses that section of beach while the Tapu is in effect.

We stop at a number of places – Lake Tarawera, where a volcano eruption caused a village to be buried – The Redwood, a forest of trees with a section dedicated to men who worked in State Forestry and were killed in the two world wars.    We finally arrive at Whakarewarewa Thermal Village. – Terry talks them into letting us go in just to see the thermal activity without having to pay the steep entrance fee.   It is amazing that these Maori people live in conditions where their land could erupt at any moment – and the sulphur smell which is strong and offensive.

Time for lunch – at the “Lakeside Café” on Lake Rotorua – a local place with good food and a beautiful view of the lake.

Terry takes us back to the ship on a different route stopping by a ranch which raises cattle, sheep, and ostrich and another geothermal area with hot springs and mud pools right in a residential neighborhood.

Back at the ship – Terry waits for Patte, Dave and I to get our computers so he can take us to an Internet Café.   This place is also a Youth Hostel – brings me back to my backpacking days in Europe during the 1960’s.

A wonderful dinner in the main dining room – Patte, Beth and I attend the show – the singers/dancers are terrific but just a few minutes with the comedian and we are ready for bed.

A long day but very enjoyable.  We could not have asked for a better guide!

Thanks for Reading,

Pat