Hells Gate Rotorua



The Only Example of a Mud Volcano
in a Geothermal Reserve in NZ



The most amazing place on earth (or is it Hell?). Made world famous by George Bernard Shaw who named the different features. It looks like a nuclear bomb has exploded and destroyed everything, but actually it's just that the earth's crust is very thin at this point. and everything is very hot and very smelly. We dipped our feet in the hot mud bath, but declined the full body treatment. We found out later that the smell of the 'full works' takes a long time to go - just as well.

In days gone by the pigs weren't quite so lucky.

The Buried Village

The Buried Village is New Zealand's Pompei. 120 people were killed when the nearby volcano erupted in the 1920's. Their village was covered in mud and ash. The nearby  world-famous Pink and White Terraces ( see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pink_and_White_Terraces) were at the heart of the eruption and were destroyed.

The remains of the village can be seen during a stroll around a pretty garden. A feature is the largest waterfall of hot water in New Zealand.

Farewell to Angela, Duncan, Missy and Cadbury

Angela, Alice and Duncan with Mount M in background

Thanks for a lovely stay!

Boat Trip to White Island

White Island lies in the Pacific about 20kms from Whakatane on the east coast of North Island. It is the most active volcano in NZ - and they let you wander around on it! We took a boat trip lasting about one and half hours to get there and were escorted around by a guide. This was after being issued with hard hats and gas masks! The hard hats had to stay on our heads all the time, but we thought the gas masks were for emergencies only until we got ten minutes into the two hour tour. The Sulfur Dioxide and Hydrogen Chloride gas were choking - so we wore them most of the time. So macho!We got to see funeroles and bubbling mud pools. The crater lake was very low but was full only two years ago. We declined to swim in Sharks Bay - named by the miners who used to live in the island producing sulfur from the rocks.



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Ruins of the Sulphur Works

Visit to Mount Maunganui

On top of Mount Maunganui

In the Thermal Pool with Mount M Behind

Post World-War II, many of Alice's relatives emigrated to Australia and New Zealand. My second cousin Duncan now lives in Mount Maunganui with his wife Angela in an idillic setting a stones throw from the beach. We spent a  happy few days at their house catching up on family stories and visiting the local sights including a walk up Mount Manganui and swimming (or walking rather) in the thermal salt water pools at its base.

The Bay of Islands

Queen's View, Russell

Staying at a lovely B&B called Brantome Villa in Whangerei, run by Valerie and Roger who come from the Southend area!  Taking a day trip to the Bay Of Islands, stopping off at Kawiti Glow Worm Caves on the way there.

Came back via Matapouri and the Whangarei Falls - beautiful