Friday the 13th! No ballooning and no sea-plane, but a walk
around Rotorua
Another morning missed! It’s
howling a gale and thick rain clouds hang over the area. No chance for anything
ballooning-wise today. So later in the morning Phil and I drive down to
Rotorua, the hot spa and volcano city of NZ.
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| sulfur springs |
The main reason for our visit
there is getting a flight in a special sea plane called the ‘otter’. Phil is
raving about that aircraft ever since he spotted one in Cairns. But the
Australian one was not operating at that time. Determined to get his flight in
here we talk to the booking office about their flight schedule for today knowing
that there are bookings for 12.00, 2.00 and 3.00pm. But it’s Friday the 13th!
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| Anglican church in Rotorua |
ALL flights are cancelled today due to strong (30knots) winds which are
supposed to be the strongest for a year. Long faces decorate our appearances.
What a shame and pain. Tomorrow we won’t have a car and Sunday may be the only
day we could possibly get some ballooning in. How to reorganize the whole
thing?
We try to distract our grim
thoughts and wander around the town. There is a lovely old Anglican Church with
lots of traditional Maori carvings inside.
We walk through the park and find
ourselves submerged in sulphurous gases. Fascinating how everywhere in this
city you see the earth bubbling and steaming. The lake shore is full of ‘coffee
pots’ (murky bubbling brown pools) and milky looking geothermal waters.
But
don’t come too close: we see quite a few birds who didn’t realize how
potentially dangerous all this could be.
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| Zorbing: whatever turns you on! |
Rotorua could be a lovely town
but seems to be a bit spoilt by Disney world attractions and all the usual
adrenalin seekers.
We only want to quickly find out what ‘zorbing‘ actually is.
I can tell you: greeeaat fun! (at least the tons of kids seem to think that).
You are put into a plastic ball full with cold water and then you roll down a
50m hill being wobbled and bubbled around in your plastic cave. Finally you
exit shivering of cold (and possibly excitement?).
Two news when we come back to the
Hotel and both actually good: We just missed the street parade and may go
straight down to the party! So we get a cab and drive down to the University
grounds.
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| the hell party |
The theme of the party is “Hell” (some balloonists are obviously
taking this really serious and are dressed up in pink clothes and funny hair
does).
We are offered slices of ‘hell pizza’ (thus the name of the pizza
provider) but alas only one free glass of drinks. Not enough to endure the
terrible music of the band which consists of an indescribable fat couple.
PHIL: Day
58/13 April
Again
no flying as the weather is even wilder so we set out to Rotorua with a twofold
purpose. Allie has never seen the volcanic activity that is so widespread in
the area and I have noticed that a lumbering and ancient de Havilland Otter
floatplane is offering rides from lake
Rotorua
 |
| hot springs |
The
volcanic vents, mudpools and sulfurous air are impressive and much less
overrun by the tat of mass tourism than the town and all the peripheral
‘adventure’ activities which have piggy-backed on the original attraction of
the vulcanism.
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| The governor's residence and park |
Streets are neat but
every other building is a backpacker lodge and postcard and souvenir shops
outnumber some of the remaining outstanding historic buildings such as St. F…(?) Maori/Anglican church and the former thermal
bath-house, both built in the early 1900s.The church in particular blends
Polynesian decorative style with colonial European elegance.
The
seaplane expedition is less successful. Three possible flights are cancelled
due to rough water and a 30kt wind and I vow to return for another try before
we leave NZ, though logistics will be tough given our need to be in Auckland
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