Trifter

Image via Wikipedia (Rotorua, New Zealand)

            New Zealand in spring is a heavenly place, green grass, attractive plants and trees, and beautiful flowers every where. Rotorua the thermal city in New Zealand was just as attractive the only difference was a distinct aroma of sulphur. When we reached this amazing city , we noticed smoke arising from a very small, roughly fenced   area, we stopped the car and walked across to look at the boiling mud pool, it looked like a pot of stew gently simmering, that familiar sound of a kitchen pot bubbling, the colour of the mud was very light with a touch of yellow, we could smell the sulphur fumes;  all around green grass, wild plants and flowers growing in abundance, and one small spot so hot, that the mud is boiling and all around nothing else is effected , and plants are actually thriving. It was like a scene from a science fiction movie, nature is so amazing that often, the facts of nature are stranger than any fiction. We headed for Te Puia, a thermal reserve, on our way we came across many more boiling mud pools, and very often we saw smoke emanating from a crack in the ground, around the crack, the earth was hard and discoloured, it reminded one of the old earthen or brick stoves found in old ancient buildings, forts and museums preserved in

Image via Wikipedia (Pohutu Geyser)

We reached Te Puia, this park includes the geothermal valley, the New Zealand Maori Arts andCrafts Institute, the Rotowhio Marae,( an auditorium) where Maori cultural performances can beenjoyed, and a Maori village. Exploring this silent little valley reminded one of Edgar RiceBurroughs fantasy worlds; by no stretch of any imagination, did we anticipate the experience wederived in this unusual part of the world. The entire place reeked of sulphur, the plants though abit stunted, thrived abundantly, the gravel, rocks and boulders all had shades and streaks of gold,even the mushrooms were a deep yellow.  We walked  over paved walkways and board walks,some times on unpaved trails, it was all very well maintained but the look of rugged wildernesswas well preserved. We trudged along enjoying the beauty and timelessness of the surroundings,the kind we would experience in a rain forest.

Image via Wikipedia

We finally reached the most fabulous part of Te Puia, the Pohutu Geyser, but were disappointed,all that we could see was a fenced  area of grey and yellow rocks, around a muddy green pool,We hung around waiting eagerly for the geyser to erupt, when it occurred , we were mesmerized .The beauty of this spectacular phenomenon is impossible to capture on film, describe in prose,poetry or in song. The awe inspiring feeling you get when you watch it erupt to a height of sixteento twenty meters just cannot be expressed. The sun was shining above, for a fleeting moment, abeautiful rainbow hung just above the steam and mist. This remarkable phenomenon usuallyoccurs ten to twenty five times a day, and each eruption blasts a few thousands of gallons ofboiling water into the air. Due to the high frequency of these eruptions most visitors can easily geta chance to watch this amazing occurrence.

We then moved towards the   Maori village, it was a replica of an original village that existed inthe same area, centuries earlier. The Maoris were the first settlers in New Zealand. We learnedthat in this reserve , a strong and mighty  fortress of Te Puia stood, no enemy could ever take thismajestic fortress in battle, this place even today has the same rustic appeal of a land more thanforty thousand years old. We entered the Maori huts, and enjoyed the feeling of being in anotherage and era. There was also a beautiful, huge canoe. The history of legendary canoes, like the, Arawa and the Kurahaupo, is fascinating. Aotea

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Image via Wikipedia

The arts and craft institute was another lovely place; we wandered through, the arts and craftsinstitute and admired the skill and craftsmanship of the Maoris. The art displayed unfolded thebeautiful traditions and the history of the Maori culture, each carved piece, every thread wovenspoke volumes of the stories of the   lives great men and women of that age and values that werehanded down through the generations and is there even today for us to appreciate , enjoy andlearn.

Image via Wikipedia ( Poi dance)

We were in time for the Maori cultural Performance at the Rotowhio Marae. We were given theformal welcome, (the Powhiri,) where a warrior, who is one of the hosts, challenges the guests(visitors) and lays down a small branch as a token of peace. We enjoyed the reception we got andmoved into the wharenui, the house to witness the cultural performance. This show is one of thebest .The poi dance was a magnificent show that combined grace, colour , music and rhythm thattotally enthralled the audience. The Hakka and the other traditional dances were equallycaptivating.The music was melodious and  as pleasant as all the sounds of nature. We were lost ina world of music, song and dance , and the end of the show brought us back to reality.

On our way out of the reserve we entered the gift shop and splurged on mineral soaps, creams,face packs and other cosmetics. We also purchased a lot of paua shell, jade and green stonesouvenirs. We were tired but exhilarated with the success of our trip. We planned to also visit theWai-O-Tapu another thermal wonderland in Rotorua, but were pleased that we lingered in thisreserve and leisurely enjoyed all the fascinating attractions. We decided to return to Auckland andreturn to enjoy the Wai-O-Tapu on another day.