Tauranga was the first of three ports that we would visit twice on this trip. For each of the three, I had booked excursions on the first stop and left the second stop free to visit any attractions that looked interesting the first time around. Earlier I had said that there were some “must see” things on the cruise. Today’s excursion was loaded with them. First would be the Agrodome, dedicated to all things sheep-related, then a Maori village to learn about their culture, a wildlife park for my first look at a kiwi and finally, a visit to the geothermal springs for which the area is famous. Greg and I had both selected the “Hell’s Gate and Rotorua Area Highlights” tour, an all-day excursion in the Rotorua area, about an hour and a half from Tauranga.
We boarded the bus and headed out through town. Two things were immediately obvious: they drive on the wrong side of the road in New Zealand and they have every fast food franchise known to man here! I realize that I wasn’t driving but it feels strange driving on the left, never quite sure exactly which lane you’re supposed to be in or which direction other cars will be coming from! The interesting thing is that, after a while, it seems perfectly normal and you don’t really notice any more. Except when you’re walking, of course. Then you need to pay attention! As for the fast food thing, I don’t know why I noticed that. I guess that I just wasn’t expecting to see so many McDonalds, KFCs, Burger Kings, etc. so far from the States. But I digress….
We got onto the main highway and headed toward Rotorua. It was a long ride
but it provided the opportunity to see some of the New Zealand countryside. From what I saw, I decided that this was a beautiful country! Green rolling hills, lush vegetation, wildflowers, sheep and cattle grazing everywhere. It was just gorgeous! I could see why people who visit here want to come back. Of course, it probably helps that it’s springtime here so the flowers and vegetation are really starting to show their stuff. On the way, we passed through Te Puke, center of the kiwifruit-growing region. There’s an attraction here called Kiwi 360, sort of a Disneyland dedicated to the kiwifruit. I suppose it would be the equivalent of Iowa having a park dedicated to all things corn. By the way, don’t you love the names of the little towns? Te Puke is Maori for “the hill” and the correct pronunciation is “tee pook-ee”. Wouldn’t it be more fun to live in “Te Puke” than in “Petersburg”? Maybe I’m starting to lose it….
We eventually arrived at our first stop, the Agrodome. I was looking forward to a sheep ranch-like atmosphere but this was basically a stage show. There were various breeds on stage, with a shearing exhibition and people being invited up to participate in the show. This wasn’t especially enjoyable so I wandered through the gift shop, then went across to the coffee shop. And found that I had no idea how to order coffee in New Zealand! There is nothing like “regular coffee” on the menu board. I explained, as best I could, that I simply wanted a cup of coffee with cream and sugar. The barista informed me that I wanted a “flat white” so that’s what I got. It was okay but a little weak for my taste. So that I won’t forget later, I’ll finish this story now. Later in the cruise, I found that a flat white is actually hot milk with a shot (or two) of espresso. What I actually should have ordered was a “long black” with milk on the side. Who knew? Anyway, Greg and I sat outside for a while enjoying the view, then watched a short demonstration of herding by a sheepdog. Then we were off to our next destination, the Matai Maori Village.
We were met at the village by a Maori woman who would act as our guide. We were instructed to choose a
“chief” to represent the group in the ritual challenge ceremony that would take place later. We all looked at each other until someone volunteered. He didn’t look very “chiefly” but it wasn’t me, so I had no problems with it. He was led away to learn his lines for the ceremony. Of course, when the ceremony actually took place, he forgot the lines! But the show went on, with some authentic Maori songs and dances. All in all, it was fairly informative and entertaining. Then we had a traditional “hangi” meal, which consisted of meats and vegetables cooked together in an underground pit, similar to a luau-style 
meal. There was lamb, chicken, potatoes, corn, etc. It was excellent! After lunch, we walked down the hill to the Rainbow Springs Wildlife Park, where we saw lots of different kinds of wildlife. The major attractions were the birds, all kinds of birds, in a beautiful park-like, wooded setting. The highlight, for me, was the kiwi exhibit. The kiwi is a nocturnal bird and they were kept in a simulated nighttime environment. No picture-taking was allowed, so all we could do was look, but seeing a kiwi was on my “things to do” list. Check!
The last stop of the day was at Hell’s Gate. The geothermal springs around Rotorua are considered a must-see
attraction and I was looking forward to the experience. Unfortunately, it turned out to be similar to the Tsunami Museum in Hilo, interesting in a scientific way but not much of a tourist attraction. Bubbling pools of mud can only be so fascinating and the smell was atrocious! Sulfur dioxide, I believe. Rotten eggs, absolutely! I was ready to leave long before we finished the guided walk. And to top it off, one of the buses broke down and we had to wait for a replacement. Fortunately, it didn’t take very long so there was no harm done. The ride back to the ship seemed a lot longer than the ride out this morning but we eventually made it back. At the end of the day, it was an okay excursion.
We boarded the bus and headed out through town. Two things were immediately obvious: they drive on the wrong side of the road in New Zealand and they have every fast food franchise known to man here! I realize that I wasn’t driving but it feels strange driving on the left, never quite sure exactly which lane you’re supposed to be in or which direction other cars will be coming from! The interesting thing is that, after a while, it seems perfectly normal and you don’t really notice any more. Except when you’re walking, of course. Then you need to pay attention! As for the fast food thing, I don’t know why I noticed that. I guess that I just wasn’t expecting to see so many McDonalds, KFCs, Burger Kings, etc. so far from the States. But I digress….
We got onto the main highway and headed toward Rotorua. It was a long ride
but it provided the opportunity to see some of the New Zealand countryside. From what I saw, I decided that this was a beautiful country! Green rolling hills, lush vegetation, wildflowers, sheep and cattle grazing everywhere. It was just gorgeous! I could see why people who visit here want to come back. Of course, it probably helps that it’s springtime here so the flowers and vegetation are really starting to show their stuff. On the way, we passed through Te Puke, center of the kiwifruit-growing region. There’s an attraction here called Kiwi 360, sort of a Disneyland dedicated to the kiwifruit. I suppose it would be the equivalent of Iowa having a park dedicated to all things corn. By the way, don’t you love the names of the little towns? Te Puke is Maori for “the hill” and the correct pronunciation is “tee pook-ee”. Wouldn’t it be more fun to live in “Te Puke” than in “Petersburg”? Maybe I’m starting to lose it….
We eventually arrived at our first stop, the Agrodome. I was looking forward to a sheep ranch-like atmosphere but this was basically a stage show. There were various breeds on stage, with a shearing exhibition and people being invited up to participate in the show. This wasn’t especially enjoyable so I wandered through the gift shop, then went across to the coffee shop. And found that I had no idea how to order coffee in New Zealand! There is nothing like “regular coffee” on the menu board. I explained, as best I could, that I simply wanted a cup of coffee with cream and sugar. The barista informed me that I wanted a “flat white” so that’s what I got. It was okay but a little weak for my taste. So that I won’t forget later, I’ll finish this story now. Later in the cruise, I found that a flat white is actually hot milk with a shot (or two) of espresso. What I actually should have ordered was a “long black” with milk on the side. Who knew? Anyway, Greg and I sat outside for a while enjoying the view, then watched a short demonstration of herding by a sheepdog. Then we were off to our next destination, the Matai Maori Village.We were met at the village by a Maori woman who would act as our guide. We were instructed to choose a
“chief” to represent the group in the ritual challenge ceremony that would take place later. We all looked at each other until someone volunteered. He didn’t look very “chiefly” but it wasn’t me, so I had no problems with it. He was led away to learn his lines for the ceremony. Of course, when the ceremony actually took place, he forgot the lines! But the show went on, with some authentic Maori songs and dances. All in all, it was fairly informative and entertaining. Then we had a traditional “hangi” meal, which consisted of meats and vegetables cooked together in an underground pit, similar to a luau-style 
meal. There was lamb, chicken, potatoes, corn, etc. It was excellent! After lunch, we walked down the hill to the Rainbow Springs Wildlife Park, where we saw lots of different kinds of wildlife. The major attractions were the birds, all kinds of birds, in a beautiful park-like, wooded setting. The highlight, for me, was the kiwi exhibit. The kiwi is a nocturnal bird and they were kept in a simulated nighttime environment. No picture-taking was allowed, so all we could do was look, but seeing a kiwi was on my “things to do” list. Check!The last stop of the day was at Hell’s Gate. The geothermal springs around Rotorua are considered a must-see
attraction and I was looking forward to the experience. Unfortunately, it turned out to be similar to the Tsunami Museum in Hilo, interesting in a scientific way but not much of a tourist attraction. Bubbling pools of mud can only be so fascinating and the smell was atrocious! Sulfur dioxide, I believe. Rotten eggs, absolutely! I was ready to leave long before we finished the guided walk. And to top it off, one of the buses broke down and we had to wait for a replacement. Fortunately, it didn’t take very long so there was no harm done. The ride back to the ship seemed a lot longer than the ride out this morning but we eventually made it back. At the end of the day, it was an okay excursion.
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