A Maori 'Haka' dance in Rotorua

Maori, originally uploaded by Frickley.

We left the Bay of Islands and headed south to Papamoa Beach, about an hour from Rotorua. We had hoped to stay in Rotorua but all the accommodation was booked up.

After a steep and winding 6 hour drive, we arrived at the accommodation we had booked a couple of days before to find that they had got the dates wrong! Fortunately they were very helpful and manage to book us into somewhere nearby which was lucky as it is peak season here and everywhere else was fully booked up. We ended up in a fantastic studio apartment - it was a bit pricey but better than the alternative (sleeping in the car!).

The following day we took a short drive to Mt Maunganui and had a wander around its base, along the beach and peninsula nearby. We didn't last long though as it started raining heavily, so we headed back to chill out for a couple of hours. In the evening we were picked up for a trip into Rotorua to see a traditional Maori concert and indulge in a 'Hangi' (a traditional Maori meal cooked in the earth with the heat from the natural thermals). On the trip in we found out why Rotorua is called the, 'Sulphur City...' It stinks! Rotorua has the most thermal activity in the country, with bubbling mud pools, gurgling hot springs, gushing geysers and evil eggy smells hovering around (no jokes please... :-) )! I'd seen the All Blacks performing a Haka dance before taking on England in the rugby so I knew we were in for a treat. The concert was amazing and the food was excellent.

Before the concert we were taken into the forest to be welcomed by the Mitai tribe (an actual tribal family still following some of their traditions today). They arrived in a long boat that they had carved from a solid piece of wood, chanting as they paddled up and down the river. I had to avert Fran's eyes as they were only wearing small g-strings, unless you count the tattoos covering their bodies!

The following day, on our way from Papamoa Beach to our next destination, Lake Taupo, we stopped off at 'Whakarewarewatanga o te Ope Taua a Wahiao' Thermal Village (aka 'Whaka'). This thermal reserve is still home to a traditional Maori tribe, one member of which gave us a tour around. They use the thermal pools for cooking their food, bathing and providing their drinking water.