Our next port of call was Rotorua. We had been there on our last trip and spent time at a Maori village. This time week booked a full-day tour including a short cruise on a riverboat, a trip to the Sacred Waters thermal springs and finally a visit to Rainbow Springs sanctuary. It turned out to be a good day for a bus tour since it rained most of the time we were out.

Our first stop was Lake Rotorua where we boarded the Lakeland Queen for lunch and a performance by a Maori troupe. The lunch was very good as was the Maoris’ performance. Since it was raining, we did not go out on the deck though I was able to get photos through an open port.

The rain let up as we got off the boat and boarded the bus for Wai-o-Tapu Sacred Waters thermal wonderland. We had a guided tour stopping at each pool as the guide explained how it was formed and what minerals caused the various colors. He also pointed out the various local plants including a teat tree bush and some of the local birds. Some of the pools were really beautiful but the smell of sulfur pervaded all. Our guide showed us a place where a new pool was in the process of forming. It is a very slow process he explained and in this case had been going on since he joined the park 12 years ago.

The rain returned as a drizzle as we returned to the visitors center where we boarded our bus and went off to our last stop, Rainbow Springs animal sanctuary. The park got its name from the ponds where rainbow trout were raised, but now it houses a variety of species. It was there that we go to see a kiwi, New Zealand’s national symbol.

We then boarded out bus for the hour-long drive back to the ship. During the entire drive our drive proved a font of information about the local area including it’s history, government and even housing prices.