Whakarewarewa - The Thermal Village
By Richard Moore
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Some 70 families live
around
the hotpools and geysers
(images courtesy of TikiTouring.co.nz)
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Geothermal activity is
marvellous
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Cultural wonders also
await
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If you want to see one of the most amazing places to live,
then take a trip to Whakarewarewa at Rotorua in New Zealand's
North Island.
It is a community of around 70 families that live among hotpools,
geysers and boiling mud pools - not to forget being a major
stopping-off point for busloads of arriving tourists.
Walking through the gates of Whakarewarewa you think it is
just going to be another thermal attraction, but as you move
around - with or without guide - you are hit by the fact that
there are people's homes nestled in and around the steaming
pools.
Washing hangs out on lines and people stand around talking,
usually oblivious to the Japanese schoolgirls or Australian
tour parties that wander around.
The members of the Tuhourangi - Ngati Wahiao, a Maori family
group, have been around Whakarewarewa for more than three
centuries and their ancestors moved into the area after the
1886 explosion that destroyed much of Mt Tarawera and the
fabled pink and white terraces.
The main attraction at Whakarewarewa is the Pohutu geyser,
a truly impressive water spout that shoots boiling water up
to 30 metres into the air. It erupts once or twice an hour
and usually lasts up to three minutes.
Nearby is the smaller, but still interesting Prince of Wales
geyser that gets its name from the shape of its spouts looking
like the feathers on the royal coat of arms.
One of the much-talked about attractions at Whakarewarewa
is the penny diving, where local boys jump off a bridge to
retrieve coins thrown in by visitors. It may be work to them,
but it sure looks like a lot of fun.
Out the back of the village - about 10 minutes walk along
a pathway - is a small green body of water known as Emerald
Lake. It is remarkably peaceful there and you can get close
to some small mud pits along the way.
If you want to see the darker side of thermal areas then
take a slight detour from that path and wander across a wooden
walkway through an area that could be part of Dante's vision
of purgatory. The ground is grey and rocky and the mud dark.
Steam eerily moves off a small lake while more seeps out
of some very mean looking holes in the ground.
Signs say 'cross at your own risk' and you can understand
how people could be a bit leery of it. But, it has to be said,
it was this part of Whakarewarewa that grabbed my fancy more
than the other areas because it truly suggested the primeval
side of thermal areas.
Visitors can also get to hear a local tribal welcome and
then listen to a small concert performed by the local folk.
The singing is terrific and the audience while I was there
was very appreciative of the cultural aspect of Whakarewarewa.
The shows go for around 30 minutes and begins at 11:15am and
2:00pm.
While there you really should try the Maori style cooking
of the hangi, where the food is steamed, buried underground,
or in the hot pools themselves. It is a delicious treat -
and beats Weight Watchers hands down!
Now Whakarewarewa is not the most impressive of the thermal
areas to tour in Rotorua - it lacks the spectacular colours
of Wai-o-tapu and the prehistoric feel of Waimangu - but,
if you have an hour or so to spare, it is worth visiting to
see Pohutu and how a community lives in such a rare area.
Tickets:
Adults $20
Children 5-12 years $10
Group Discount (10+) $17 per person
Family Pass (2 Adults & 1-4 kids) $50
Hours of Opening:
8.30am to 5.00pm everyday (except Christmas Day)
Links:
Whakarewarewa.com
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