Eric’s 2024 Trip to Oceania

Then we visited Whakarewarewa Thermal Village, the home of the Tūhourangi Ngāti Wāhiao people who have been showing visitors their village for over two centuries. While we were waiting for a tour to start, there was a display about the history and politics of who was allowed to be a tour guide and profit from it. I wish some of that were online. It rained during the tour and later in the day, so not the best experience, but it was nice nonetheless.

On the way out of town, we stopped at Dangerous Chocolate, where the proprietor, Sabine, asked where we were from. When I said New Hampshire, she asked about Dancing Lion Chocolate in Manchester.

Then we drove to Tongariro National Park and did a short hike to a waterfall and back. I mentioned the highways yesterday. Today’s feature is traffic circles. There are lots of traffic circles in New Zealand. It is a default intersection, on long-distance roads, in cities, at junctions for some highway access ramps. So we got plenty of practice with those, particularly looking right while entering. Also, if you are entering a traffic circle to go 270º around (to the right as you enter), you are supposed to signal right while you are turning left to enter, then turn off your turn signal, and turn on your left turn signal when you are about to exit.

In the evening, we checked into Tongariro Mountain Lodge, which was nicer and roomier than I expected given its cheap price and remote location. After dropping our luggage, we went to Schnapps Bar for dinner. Another win. No picture of the goat cheese salad, sorry.

Fat Dog Cafe.

Avo & Toast.

“Avocado, beetroot hummus, feta, dressed spinach with tomato & marinated capsicum & a free range poached egg, finished with our own dukkah. Served with toasted Turkish.”

Fat Dog Cafe.

Steaming springs at Whakawarewa Village.

Whakerewarewa Village.

My photos are largley of the thermal features around the village. I did not take many pictures of the residential buildings.

Steaming pool.

Whakarewarewa Village.

Hot baths.

Boiling pool.

The tour guide explained they had to make it clear to children they could not play around here, at all, ever. If somebody falls in, there is no way to rescue them.