This is the smell that is all consuming in Rotorua, the thermal tourist spot in NZ. We arrived here yesterday have cycled for 60 miles from Taupo, having stopped at a thermal area on the way, we arrived a bit late, it was dark and it took us a while to decide on the best place to pitch the tent. Not due to darkness so much a Richard wanting to find the warmest tent pitch, yes the camp site has warm spots. Which sounds great until your tent resembles a sauna at 3am then it is not so great!! We are planning to move it today after it has dried out from the torrential rain that yet again created pond on the roof of the tent, Terra Nova here comes an email....
So from the last post we have traveled so distance, from Wellington we caught the Train to National Park where we stayed in a department of conservation campsite, this was very basic and for the very first time we got to use the camp stove, water filter, and kitchen sink that we have been carting around, Yippee. from here we were able to see the three volcanoes that make up the Tongariro national park. Ruapehu, Tongariro and Ngauruhoe, these are three immense volcanoes that dominate, Ruapehu was last active (visually) in 2007, so three years ago, luckily for us no ash, rocks or molten lava were seen, although we did see a rising cloud of mist coming from one of the sides of Ngauruhoe which alarmed us some what, until we got further to Taupo and Rotorua and then they become the norm.
We have two days here in Rotorua, Rich is going to spend one mountain biking, I on the other hand may just partake in a mudbath and thermal spring dip...
next stop the Coramandel.....
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