Waimangu (Wai = water, Mangu = black) is the world’s youngest thermal valley. The Waimangu Geothermal system was created by the eruption of Mt. Tarawera on 10 June 1886, the only one created as a direct result of a volcanic (basalt) eruption. In the earliest hours of that day, persistent and increasingly large earthquakes were […]
Rotorua
Day 5 – A Day In The Māori Life (19 Sept 2023)
Today was a day in the life of the Ngāti Manawa people. We got out from the hotel early and headed by bus to learn about all aspects of life of the Ngāti Manawa Māori. We had a very energetic young gal as our guide. She started out by giving us her “pepeha.” A “pepeha” […]
Day 4 – Hamilton Gardens & The Kiwi Encounter Conservation Project (18 Sept 2023)
We put our bags outside our door at 7:00 a.m. to be taken to the bus, and after another delicious breakfast at the VOCO, we were off on the road again. We had a few stops along the way – the visitor’s center below in the town of Tirau was pretty classic. Everyone (but me […]