Today the weather was...you guessed it...sunny and warm. We left Auckland by bus early in the morning and traveled most of the day to arrive at Rotorua, which is geothermal area much like our Yellowstone Park. We had a couple of interesting stops along the way. The first one was lunch at an apple orchard. While walking around the orchard, we had a chance to go to the section where they grow kiwifruit. It grows on a vine very similar to how grapes grow. It originally came to New Zealand as a Chinese gooseberry that got very big.
Our next adventure led us to the Waitomo Glow Worm Caves. We first went down 40 kilometers into the cave to see stalactites and stalagmites. Then when the cave was completely dark, we could start to see the glow worms, which are larva of flies thatare lumenescent (like our firefly). It is like a thousand blue lights on the top of the cave. It was really something to see.
I may have forgotten to mention that New Zealand and specifially Auckland sits on an active volcano. There are 11 seismegraphic stations around the city to note exactly when there would be any activity. When any activity would be noted, they have one month before it explodes to warn and evacuate anyone in harm's way.
Rotorua is steaming with geysers and mud pots so it smells of sulfur and stinks a bit. I just came back from the whirlpool to relax my muscles. Tomorrow will be hiking and cruising on the lake as well as going to a traditional Maori hangi (dinner cooked in pits in the ground)
Take care and stay safe and healthy.
Love,
Gloria
Make sure you check your clothes at night to see if your glowing. You could have taken some friends home with you. haha
ReplyDeleteAll sounds like a blast!
Very impressive blog for being relatively new to the whole blogging world. You should be proud in the fact that you blog more often than your son. Joe hasn't blogged since the Super Bowl. I hope you aren't missing the snow all that much.
ReplyDeleteGreat blog! New Zealand sounds incredible. I love hearing about all the fun things you get to do down there!
ReplyDeleteGloria, I just caught on to how to read your blogs. Mom helped! Imagine that. I will show her how to get into blogspot.com so she can check your blogs when I am not here in Cleve.
ReplyDeleteYour trip sounds wonderful. It is great to know that the sun is shining somewhere.
Hi Glory, enjoyed your blogs. Hope you are
ReplyDeletehaving a great adventure. I will try to keep up
with your journey now that I know how to blog.
Thanks to my instructor Virginia.
Love, Aunt Ida
You look like you are in front of the "bush" you stoled off someone's yard in the neighborhood that you brought to work. I finally know how to do this! Ellen and I are thinking about you daily.
ReplyDeleteHave you snored for Elaine yet?
So are the kiwifruit better if they are fresh?
ReplyDelete