19th December 2013
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| Last picture with our housemates at Dey Street, Hamilton |
Today is our first day of holiday, and we're overwhelmed with excitement!!! First station - Hells Gate Mud Bath and Sulphur Spa at Rotorua. This is our second time doing spa here, but it is our first mud spa experience! Hells Gate is Rotorua's most active thermal park. It is opened by Maori people and is believed to have been guarded for centuries by the ‘Kaitiaki Wai Ora' (guardian warrior).
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| Busy applying the volcanic mud on our skin |
First, we soaked ourself in the volcanic mud for 20 minutes. The mud has strong affinity to moisture in the skin promoting regeneration of skin cells. It helps to detoxify and purify, and the sulphur content of the mud kills bacteria. After the mud spa, we soak ourself in the sulphur spa, keeping us to feel refresh and revitalize. Overall it is an amazing experience!
Before we headed back to our accomodation, we went to Mamaku Blue Blueberry Farm. Mamaku is a home based business and we get to try their blueberry ice cream.
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| Cute sheeps at the blueberry farm |
Today is also our first time staying at a cabin in Holdens Bay Holiday Park. Our cabin contains two bunks to sleep four of us, and there's a table and cabinet with all the kitchen cutlery.
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| Our stay tonight, lovely? |
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| In the afternoon, we managed to swim for an hour here! A very satisfying swim in this hot summer. |
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| kitchen and dining room |
Today is Thursday and we're so lucky that there's a night market here. However the price of the food is slightly higher as compared to Hamilton Night Market, perhaps because Rotorua is a city of attractions and there's many tourists here.
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| Night market with christmas feel |
The last activity of the day - Tamaki Maori Village. Tamaki Maori Village is the most award-winning Maori culture attraction in New Zealand, and it is located at the outskirts of Rotorua in an ancient forest, that's why they provide a return transport for us from Holden's Bay Holiday Park. Here, we learned about Maori art forms and Maori traditions. They also told us stories of their ancestors and history, ancient horticultural and so much more.
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| Maori Village entrance |
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| A formal and sacred ceremony of welcome before we enter Maori Village |
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| The Maori teaching the three chiefs and visitors their Maori Dance |
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| Women weaving, how Maori's clothes are made |
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| Maori "chase chase" game, to train their muscle's strength |
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| Demonstrating how authentic Maori Hangi Meal is prepared, steamed underground in the traditional way |
We also got the chance to watch the dancing and singing performance of the Maori. The most amazing part is that they can sing so well! No music is needed and they can perform a very good rhythm and song. Their dance performance is really special too! The unique Poi dance, breathtaking harmonies and the famed, powerful Maori Haka really impressed us.
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| Traditional songs and dances - Poi dance |
Two stupids imitating the trademark face expression of the Maori.
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| Hangi buffet feast for dinner, tastes very delicious! |
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| Maori craft |
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| Goodbye dance |
On our way home, the funny driver asked each of us in the bus to sing our country song. There're so many of us coming from different country such as America, Holland, German, Italy, Poland........ so we get to listen different songs of various origin. It's a lovely day today!
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