Rotorua to Waikite Valley

It was hard to leave Rotorua this morning. We ended up staying five days, partly because of the bad weather and bicycle breakdown we had but more so because there is so much to do and see in this very cosy town. We have seen mudpools, geisers, hot water springs, Maori dancing and chanting, Paradise Valley, Redwoods mountainbiking heaven, the government gardens and the museum, Okere Falls.

Add to all this the incomparable Rotorua hospitality of our Forest and Bird friends and the amazing experience of speaking to the children about our trip, and you can see how we had the best time ever. Ella also enjoyed our stay at Rotorua. She got to be the star at both our presentations, she had the perfect friend in Jorg at the home of our hosts and Rotorua must have more playground than the whole of Spain. Even at the Maori dance and chant spectacle she had the time of her life. When the men performed the Haka she wasn´t scared at all and started sticking out her tongue as well.

We left Paradise Valley in beautiful sunshine. We followed the highway for about 15 km and then took backroads towards Waikite Valley. Narrow and winding roads through green hills, Vanessa was flying and I couldn´t keep up. A gradual climb until I caught up with her when she was already preparing lunch under a big pine tree in the garden of a farm. It was hot. A dog approached to see if he could steal some of our lunch but Ella wasn´t having none of it. According to the map, a campsite had to be quite near but when we got to a junction where the campsite was supposed to be, we found nothing. We continued for another 5 km and there it was, Waikite Valley Campsite. The sun was now burning relentlessly and we were happy to put up the tent, some 5 metres of a 97 degrees hot stream! The facilities on this little quaint campsite are amazing. There are at least 8 hot pools that very in temperature from 42 to 27 degrees. The steaming hot water from the steam is diverted into an artificially created cascade which serves to cool the water down. Before the water enters the pools, it if first thrown into the air to cool it down even more and then it flows into the first and hottest pool. It is an extraordinary place to be and a piece of paradise off the beaten track. Ella couldn´t get enough of the pools.