Rotorua

Sorry it's been so long since my last post guys, I've been non-stop busy the past few days! So to continue the tale I will tell you about the town we stayed at from Saturday (2/20) until Monday (2/21).

I'll start with a little history about the town. Rotorua is famous for its hot springs and mud pools as it has a lot of geothermal activity (which also results in a horrible sulfur smell). It is surrounded by 8 lakes, and in 1886 there was an eruption by Rotorua by Mount Tarawera which caused the death of 120 people, destroyed the Pink and White Terrace - which were considered one of the 8th wonders of the world before their destruction - and buried the Maori village Te Wairoa.

Lake Tarawera - The largest of the lakes that surrounds Mount Tarawera

During my stay in Rotorua I spent a lot of time at the lakes. There is a lake view right in town which was absolutely stunning, especially in the evenings. 

The lake front view from downtown Rotorua

The town also holds a museum and beautiful government gardens, and is also home to some wildlife. 

The Rotorua museum

Part of the government gardens

More of the government gardens

Some strange bird (Mini Kevins?)

Black Swan

Lots of wonderful views, but sometimes the sulfur smell was a bit much to handle! Along with exploring the town I also got to see a show at the Agrodome in Rotorua. It was amazing to see that people came from all over the world for these shows! 

New Zealand's Sheep Breeds

Sheep shearing right on stage!

Milking a cow

They train their dogs to jump on the backs of sheep!

Sheeeeeeppp

After the Agrodome show we were able to go swimming in one of the lakes surrounding Rotorua. We swam in Blue Lake, or also known as Lake Tikitapu in the traditional Maori. The water was absolutely beautiful, and quite refreshing after having to deal with the 80 degree heat on the North Island. 

The view of the lake when we got off the bus

The lake from the shoreline

If you couldn't guess, Blue Lake is named for its blue water. There is also Green Lake, which is named for.....that's right! you guessed it! It's named for its green water. 

The final part of this trip was learning how to perform the haka. The haka is a Maori war dance that was used historically to connect the warriors with their ancestors and prepare them for battle while intimidating their enemies. The haka has become famous in New Zealand as their rugby team, The All Blacks, performs the haka before they play. 

Ka mate! Ka mate!
(It is death!, It is death!) 
Ka ora! Ka ora!
(It is life!, It is life!) 
Ka mate! Ka mate!
(It is death! It is death!) 
Ka ora! Ka ora!
(It is life! It is life!) 
Tenei Te Tangata Puhuru huru
(This is the hairy man) 
Nana nei tiki mai 
(Who fetched the sun) 
Whakawhiti te ra
(And caused to shine again) 
A upa ne ka up ane
(One upward step, another upward step) 
Upane, Kaupane
(An upward step) 
Whiti te ra
(The sun shines!)

This is the chant that goes along with the actions of the haka. Here is a video of the All Blacks performing their version of the haka:

I wish I had the video of our haka to share, but my program hasn't posted it yet! 

Me and two friends dressed in traditional wear for the haka

It's been an amazing adventure so far! Now to just survive orientation week!