Rotorua + Taupoの旅
Rotoruaに行ってきた。早朝にPalmyをでて、Desert Roadについた頃には眠くなっていたので、そこで15分ほど休憩。一瞬寝たような感じで、その後は快調。景色を眺めながらDesert Roadを通り、その後はTaupoへ。天気が良かった。そこでブランチ。Taupoで食事の後はHuka Fallへ。何度行ってもここはいい。その後はRotoruaへ。到着してすぐホテルで仮眠。かなり疲れてたようだ。そしてその日は食事をしてSkyline Skyrides とRainbow Springsへ行った。I have to type in English from this point on. I have some problems getting the Japanese language installed with this computer...I got on a gondola and here is the view from Mt Ngongotaha!This is what I encountered at Rainbow Springs. On the way back to the hotel, I saw some kind of smokes or vapour coming out from the earth. Well, every time I went to Rotorua, I saw them while driving, but I had never tried to find that out.I decided to pull over my car and find that out. It was, as expected, a thermal.This looks like a lake with dead trees, but it is not. The air was very warm, and its tremendously insulting smell (like a rotten egg! The whole city smells like the rotten egg!) somehow eased my asthma and gave me comforts.As I had to go through the city centre to go back to the hotel, I decided to drop in the garden-of which I cannot remember its proper name. It was nearly 9pm, so it was getting dark. On the following day, I woke up early as I had planned to visit many places. I took shower, had a nice cup of coffee at the hotel balcony, overlooking racing horses running in the horse racing track. It was so quiet that I could even hear the breath of the running horses from my room on the 3rd floor. In the morning, I went to Rainbow Springs again as I had not been able to see everything the day before. The admission ticket was a 24-hr open ticket, so it gave me a chance to see other things which I missed. Remind you, that I have been Rainbow Springs so many times....On the way back to the city centre, I saw a sign Paradise Valley Springs and Wildlife Park, so I decided to take a look. The sign said it was an 8km away or something but it was far!!! I had to drive in a narrow winding road!!It was a very nice place, and I really enjoyed the walk in the park. The trees were all beautiful and I felt like I was in the rain forrest. It was the first time for me to go there, so it was a great experience too.Here are the lazy lions. When I got there, there was NO ONE! The whole park (like a forrest) was so quiet, and all I could hear was animals....Here are my favourite wallabies! They were so so cute!Ifed them, too. I would hate the smell of animals but I did not mind their smells at all. I wanted to take one home...After having lunch in the city, I left Rotorua for Waiotapu Thermal Wonderland. It is about 20 min drive from Rotorua. Iwent to Waiotapu Thermal Wonderland when I was a high school student (I came to New Zealand when I was at high school), and I still remembered the time. I was amazed nd stunned at the things right in front of my eyes. The coloure was very strage, and did not look like natural. The whole walk took more then an hour. I bought a bottle of water before going into this place, and it was a wise thing to do; it was such a bloody hot day!After visiting Waiotapu, I went to eat prawns at the Huka Prawn Parkrestaurant. As I was eating dishes there (outside of course!), I saw some jet boats. It was a hot day, so hot that I did not mind getting on the boat, although it might be a bit scary. I would not have done that if the weather had been bad. I would rather hate this kind of activity. It was because of the bloody boiling weather.So, after eating, I was wandering around the receiption ofHuka Jet for a few min, and made up my mind. It wasn't cheap, but so what. I would not have done it forever if I hadn't tried on the day.It was so so fast and breath-taking. It was a great view, and I got an awesome view of Huka Fall. The boat went very close to the fall. Very very close.Then.....while I was on board, I realised that I had dropped my precious bracelet...It was from the Middle East......ahhhhhhhhh!!!!! I tried to trace where I had dropped it by checking the pictures I had taken...Yet...hard to say....I guess I dropped it at Waiotapu....At last, I have to upload this picture. This sign DOES exist!!!I had better go take shower now. WORK TOMORROW!!