NZ Day 7. Rotorua Museum and onwards to Tongariro…

And on Thursday we went to the Rotorua museum. Randi was a bit tentative as she had woken with a very sore back. The land on which the museum stands was gifted by the Maori for the benefit of all the people of the world and was a spa where a quack doctor from England reaped status and money from the New Zealand government by converting and installing therapeutic baths in the building, some including electric shock therapy! They also ‘treated’ soldiers after the second world war (?). However, now its a genteel museum, with a history of the people of the area, from the Maori arriving in ~1350AD to the present, through the arrival of the Europeans, the treaties, the wars and the present day. It seems to me, on very little deep understanding, that the integration of Maori and white has proceeded more happily than the North American experience, even though there have been serious cases of advantage taking in New Zealand too.




After the museum we headed out on the road towards Lake Taupo and Tongariro. Quite a few kilometres, and when you get to Lake Taupo there’s still a long way to go! We stopped at Huka falls, and also at the geothermal power station where they use the underground heat to produce superheated steam which they bring to the surface, produce power with, and then pump the water back into the edges of the field.

The Geothermal Field at Huka	Expansion allowance masquerading as an overpass!	…and here;s how it works!	Another view of all the pipework
Huka Falls	The gorge which ejects Huka Falls	At the top of the gorge	Peaceful just 50 yards upstream.

Huka falls was a pleasant break. The falls are not that high, but the water in the river is forced into a narrow gorge and the volume of water shooting through is what is impressive!
We stopped and stayed in the “Family Holiday Camp” at Tongariro “Base Camp” (The Tongariro Crossing hike does not have camping at the trailheads, so you have to arrange transport to and from the trailheads. Early to bed as an early start on the trail for the Tongariro Crossing beckoned!