The site was rebuilt in 2009 for The Hobbit movies, and later turned into a permanent exhibit and tourist attraction. We really enjoyed our tour on one fine sunny day, and we took a lot of pictures in front of all the hobbit holes. Some of the hobbit holes were smaller than others, which helped during filming to create the illusion that some of the characters were tall or short. The place was really well maintained. They must have an army of gardeners, with all the flower and vegetables gardens throughout. My favourite part of the tour was the end, when we stopped in at the Green Dragon tavern for a pint of beer, or in the kids' case, a mug of ginger beer. I can't say I'm the biggest fan of these movies, but I must admit it was pretty cool walking around this set. We almost expected Bilbo or Frodo Baggins to come out of a hobbit hole. The kids just loved the tour and are excited to watch all the movies again.
Our final stop for a few days was Rotorua, nicknamed Surfur City because of the hydrogen sulphide emissions, which give parts of the town a rotten eggs smell. Rotorua's tourist appeal comes from the town's nearby geysers, bubbling mud pools, and hot thermal springs. When we drove around town we noticed some steam rising from a park so we stopped in. We walked around to view all the bubbling pools, and found a spot with benches where we took off our shoes and dipped our legs in the warm water. John was concerned that his feet would smell like sulphur, but was happy to discover that this was not the case. So relaxing...
I understand not too long ago residents would make use of the boiling and bubbling pools to wash their clothing. Nowadays the pools are all cordoned off, which is a good thing with clumsy tourists like me wandering about. We visited the Wai-O-Tapu thermal area on Thursday, and we started off our tour with a visit to the Lady Knox geyser, which erupts every day at 10:15. I thought it was odd that the geyser kept such good time, but it turns out there's a good explanation for this. As we arrived almost late but just in time for the eruption, a guide stood up and told a story about how long ago convicts from a nearby prison used to do their laundry at this hot spot, and discovered that their laundry soap would set off the geyser. The guide then proceeded to pour some detergent into the geyser, and sure enough, five minutes later the geyser erupted in a 20 meter spurt of sulphur and soap scented steam and water. Not quite the same thing as watching a geyser erupt on its own, but interesting an fun nonetheless.
At this thermal area we walked the trails to see the sights. By the end of the two hour hike we were all feeling a little off from the heat and the continual sulphur fumes. On entry to the park we were warned to stay on the paths and not to smoke. I wondered why smoking was prohibited - it turns out some of the minerals we saw in the park, like yellow crystallised sulphur, are highly flammable. My favourite parts of the many stops along the walk were the Champagne Pool and Devil's Bath.
Champagne pool should belong on an alien planet, with its large pool of water with carbon dioxide gas bubbling to the surface. There were minerals around the edge coloured either yellow, orange or red. Huge amounts of steam would obscure the area on occasion, some of it red coloured mist from one part of the pool covered in iron oxide. The pool was accessible via a causeway crossing part of the pool. The place was just fascinating, but the steam and sulphur smell eventually drove us away.
Devil's Bath was our last stop and just as strange. The large pool below us, surrounded by white cliffs, was a bright yellow colour, as if it was filled with yellow paint with a green tinge. Sort of what toxic waste looks like in comic books I think. It was so bright it looked like it was glowing.
Here is Elizabeth and John making their way through the mist at the Champagne Pool, trying to minimize the smell as they escape the scene. What are we - refugees?
No comments:
Post a Comment