An American driving in New Zealand / Mudding / Maori

We decided that to properly tour the North Island, we need to rent a car. Gulp. It was Steve’s first experience driving on the left side of the road. We’ll spare you our Go-Pro video of the first 10 minutes since it’s just too embarrassing. After an initial problem finding our way out of the airport (embarrassing since all the directional signs were in English!), we headed down the motorway. This first day was difficult. Steve nervously gripped the wheel. Cindy constantly pointed out the curbs and guardrails that were often way too close to the passenger side of the car. By Day 2, Steve was pro, although he is still figuring out which side has the blinker. The wipers have gone up and down 27 times (and counting).

We spent 3 days in Rotorua, which is the most touristy area of the North Island. The area, and actually all of the North Island, was formed by volcanos. The thermal layer remains very close to the surface creating extensive areas with geothermal activity. And what can you do with a hot, barren terrain? You go to Hell’s Gate and a Maori village.

The name Hell’s Gate was coined by George Bernard Shaw in the early 1900s since he thought it must be the entrance to hell. Our scheduled Hell’s Gate 1 ½ hour guided tour lasted 2 ½ hours and was very informative. A member of the iwi (tribe) was our guide. Picture lots of boiling pools of sulfuric mud and water (think Yellowstone on a smaller scale). We even saw a 2-meter mud volcano.

Next, it was time to brave a soak in the hot sulfur pool and a dip in the mud bath. The sulfur pool was lovely. The mud was, well, MUD! The idea was to apply it every bit of skin that was not covered, let it dry, and end up with baby soft skin. How do we look?

Did it work? Well, if you want really soft skin, do a Turkish bath instead. 😊

We also visited Whakarewarewa, a Maori Village. I always thought Oconomowoc and Mukwanago were tough.  The real name of Whakarewarewa is in the picture below.

For those who are unaware, the Maori are the Polynesian people that settled in New Zealand 800+ years ago, before the Europeans arrived. They remain true to their heritage and many live in the same villages that their ancestors occupied. There was a cultural program with singing and a Haka or warrior dance, complete with bugged out eyes, protruding tongues and shouting. Below is a snippet of the Haka.

We enjoyed a Hangi lunch, a traditional food cooked in bubbling geothermal waters.  Very tasty.