26th October – Monday in Rotorua

I have finally got around to posting day 2 of our Rotorua spree.  My apologies for the excruciatingly long wait.

On Monday we got off to an early start and I dropped Tania, Aidan & Poihipi at the Agrodome.  Although this might sound like a huge stress ball it is in fact an Agricultural show.  Very interesting but I have seen it before so I headed off for a drive to try and get some photos.

Agrodome

(Picture: Aidan with headless lamb – Pic by Tania)
(Picture: Baad hair day – Pic by Tania)

  (Picture: Moo’ve over little boy, possessed coo comin’ through – Pic by Tania)

(Picture: Aidan milking possessed coo - Pic by Tania)

(Picture: Woof Quack Baa – Pic by Tania)

  (Picture: Totally baarmy – Pic by Tania)

Meanwhile I went for a hurl and took a few pics around Lake Rotorua.

(Picture: Mokoia Island)

(Picture: Strange black blobs approaching at speed)

  (Picture:  Ahar!  It be them Black Swans again)

(Picture: The yellowish hue is down to the high sulphur content)

(Picture:  A small pier/jetty/wharf/thingy)

Gondola

After that it was time to go and pick up the milkman and his crew before heading to the Gondolas.  Now, if you are like me, then you have always thought of a Gondola as a long boat regularly seen in Venice.  This didn’t involve Venice, or boats.  Turns out that a Gondola can mean many things.

1. A traditional Venetian rowing boat.
2. A low flat-bottomed freight car with fixed sides but no roof.
3. The crew compartment that hangs underneath an airship.
4. A fully enclosed ski lift, in which skiers remove skis and stand or sit.

Turns out that our Gondola was the last option, albeit without skis, skiers or even snow for that matter.

(Picture: Aidan admiring the view)

(Picture:  Aforementioned view)

Knowing that Auld Midder would be enjoying the thought of this so much I thought I had better let her know what the view is like hanging out of a Gondola heading up the side of a mountain.

(Picture:  Tis a very pretty view)

Sky Swing

Once you get to the top one of the first things you see is the “Sky Swing”.  This is basically a big horizontal bungee cage that is twanged out over the side of a 50m drop at 120km/h.  No thank you.  If I wanted to see what I had eaten the night before I would have taken a photo of it.

(Picture: That blob is two people travelling very fast)

Da Luge

Apparently this is the first place in the world that this has been done.  Whit da hell is a luge?  It’s a sledge, a toboggan with wheels and bloody good fun.  Hurlies without the pram wheels.  About 5km of concrete track is sprawled down the hillside and you race down it.  Simple.

Shetland Islands Council take note.  You want to give the kids something to do and increase tourism?  This is the way to do it.  Staney Hill for da toon and Compass Head and Fitful Head for da Ness.

(Picture: And they’re off!)

(Picture:  Small blip in middle of pic is Aidan)

They even have screens showing pics of them half way down the track. (Picture: Aidan showing no fear)

(Picture: Poihipi takes the lead)

(Picture: Aidan not enjoying himself in the slightest)

At this point I am sure that Midder is wondering how they manage to get all the way back to the top again.  Surely not in that peculiar Gondola contraption again?  Nope.  They use a device similar to a claes line but for people instead.

(Picture: What goes down must come up.  Can you spot the red ganzie waving?)

(Picture: Ah yep, there they are.  The dangling duo)

(Picture: What goes up must come down)

(Picture:  He never did pay much attention to signs)

 

Oh yeah, did I mention the view from up there?

(Picture: The view from up there)

After that we headed back down on the Gondolas again.

(Picture:  The Gondola hanging to one side is Aidan & Poihipi)

(Picture: Don’t touch my effing camera!)

Then it was time to head back to Tauranga.  On the way we stopped at the 3d Maze.  Why anybody would purposefully put themselves in the position that they are lost is beyond me.

And that was day 2 in Rotorua.  I will hopefully get the next post up a bit sooner.  Tata.