25th October – Sunday in Rotorua

Labour Day Weekend

It is Labour Day Weekend.  The origins of this holiday are quite interesting.  It arose due to the shift to a 8-hour working day.  Now you work another 8-hours less because of it.  How ironic is that?  Not that I am complaining mind you, this means that I had Monday off as did all the kids, giving us a long weekend.

For this reason we decided to head to Rotorua on Sunday morning and stay the night.  Aidan invited his friend Poihipi along for the trip and off we went.

  (Picture: Rotorua here we are)

Coachman Motor Inn

First job was to find somewhere to stay the night.  This didn’t take long as most of the Motels in Rotorua are all along the same road.  We opted to stay at the Coachman Motor Inn.  They had Sky, Free Wireless Internet, a spa and a fridge for the beer.  What more do you need?

  (Picture: Stolen from the web)

Paradise Valley Springs

After that we headed off to Paradise Valley Springs, a nature park with all sorts of critters and an abundance of trout.

It didn’t take Aidan long to find someone to share tales of his eating habits with.

  (Picture: Long time no see bro!)

  (Picture: They shared a joke or two)

  (Picture: Aidan meets the deformed deer that grows other deer from its antlers)

The Ngongotaha stream passes through this place carrying with it thousands of freshwater trout.  Aidan and Poihipi were mesmerised, imagining what they could do with a couple of nets and a fishing rod.

  (Picture: Can a troot proot?)

Aidan and Poihipi stopped to take a swig from the Te Waireka spring.  Used by early Maori inhabitants as a source of fresh water.

  (Picture: Aidan and Poihipi)

  (Picture: Some form of small yellow thing)

Tania started shouting something about a “Bee on the wall” or something like that.  No idea what that had to do with this overgrown rat though?

  (Picture: Overgrown rat that grows birds out its butt)

  (Picture: Like a duck to water)

  (Picture: Told Ryan I would post some chicks sometime)

 

(Picture: Or an old turkey)

(Picture: Hair today…)

(Picture: …gone tomorrow)

  (Picture: There’s that little yellow thing again)

Once we had wandered around looking at all manner of little critters it was time to go and see the big critters. 

(Picture: Big Critters)

Aidan seemed to get along with them quite well, managing to sit in close proximity and not be eaten by them. 

Rainbow Springs & Kiwi Encounter

After that we headed off to Rainbow Springs for a look.  Mental note to self.  Paradise Valley Springs seems to have a greater variety of things to see than Rainbow Springs.

(Picture:  A White Swan)

(Picture: A Kaka)

(Picture:  Feeding the fishies)

  (Picture:  A muckle Troot!)

(Picture: Tuatara)

The Tuatara is a ‘living dinosaur’ having survived evolution for over 100 million years.  They can live for up to 300 years old and can be without food for up to a year.  Unlike Aidan.

(Picture:  A stuffed Possum)

For those of you that were wondering what a Possum looks like after I failed to get a picture of the one outside the house.  Cute critters ain’t they?

After being at Rainbow Springs we went next door to Kiwi Encounter where we were lucky enough to see a new-born baby Kiwi being hatched.  We then watched a Kiwi scurrying around before leaving to head back to the Motel.

(Picture:  The Spa)

Aidan and Poihipi had a great time in the Spa at the Motel, then we had some grub before heading to bed.  That was Sunday…