Pictures from Rotorua

Photos from 6/22 in Rotorua

Brunch at the Sunrise cafe in Tauranga. Corey had delicious blueberry waffles with whipped cream

My brunch at the Sunrise Cafe: a chickpea and lentil burger with kumara chips

Stairs up to one of the hikes around Mt. Maunganui, just north of Tauranga

Shells I collected at the beach at the base of Mt. Maunganui.

When planning our trip, we chuckled every time we saw the town of Te Puke on a map. We got to see it in person, and it was just as funny!

The private mineral pool at our hotel in Rotorua

Steam being let off from geothermal vents. This is why Rotorua smells like sulfur!

Corey and I at the top of Mt. Ngongotaha, after taking a gondola up to the top

View of Lake Rotorua from the top of Mt. Ngongotaha. The island in the middle is the tip of the collapsed volcanic caldera

Corey and I on the chair lift back to the top of Mt. Ngongotaha, after taking "luge" carts down to the bottom.

The COOLEST playground I've ever played at! Corey and I were here for at least 15 minutes, and couldn't stop laughing at how cool each strange contraption was!

The stone and wood cooking oven that was preparing the food for our traditional Maori Hangi

Dinner! (lamb, chicken, kumara, and potatoes cooked by stone smoke and heat)

The chief of the Mitai tribe, who taught us about Mitai and Maori rituals, weapons, dances, and songs

Mitai warriors singing around a campfire

The natural spring that is central to the Mitai tribe's survival. I think it is water from a confined aquifer. It was the clearest water we've ever seen!