Pukeko The 87k from Matamata to Rotorua was our most difficult ride yet in terms of traffic. We went most of the way on the 5 which was incredibly busy with almost no shoulder and uphill for ages. We both got run off the road several times by big trucks, and there was a particularly narrow section where I walked in the ditch for almost a full kilometer to avoid being hit, and Steve kept his GoPro running for evidence just in case. We made it to Rotorua around 3pm physically and mentally exhausted, but in one piece. After a stop at the information center we decided to stay at the Cozy Cottage motor park right on the lake, since it was fairly central to town and had its own hot pools to soak our legs.
Rotorua is located in a really geothermally active part of New Zealand, and the town has a ton of boiling mud holes and hot springs, rivers, pools and ponds, and there is a definite hint of sulfur in the air. We spent 4 nights in Rotorua, the longest time we had spent anywhere since Auckland, and we found plenty to keep us busy. On Friday we biked out to Rainbow Springs, a small wildlife preserve where we got to see a bunch of native reptiles and birds, including the adorable Kiwi.
Rotorua is located in a really geothermally active part of New Zealand, and the town has a ton of boiling mud holes and hot springs, rivers, pools and ponds, and there is a definite hint of sulfur in the air. We spent 4 nights in Rotorua, the longest time we had spent anywhere since Auckland, and we found plenty to keep us busy. On Friday we biked out to Rainbow Springs, a small wildlife preserve where we got to see a bunch of native reptiles and birds, including the adorable Kiwi.
Saturday we spent the day with Kaitiaki Rafting on the Kaituna river. They picked us up from our campground at noon and drove us out to their base where we got outfitted in wetsuits, PFDs, booties and helmets before driving us further down the road to the river. The section of the Kaituna we rafted was a range of class III to class V rapids, and the best part was the 21ft waterfall that we dropped over, fully submerging the raft before popping back to the surface. Apparently that's the highest commercially rafted waterfall in the world.
After an hour on the river we headed back up to their base and got fitted for a pair of flippers to go sledging. We went a little further down the road this time and hiked down past some caves to put in just below the big waterfall. The sledges are a kind of a cross between a boogie board and the front of a kayak. You lay on your stomach with your arms at about 90 degrees and run the rapids head first. It was a lot more physically demanding than rafting because we had to constantly kick to move through the currents and fight to stay in the right spot over the rapids. We had a lot of fun, but both of us had sore ankles and were definitely out of breath by the end. I guess biking around the country can't get us in shape for everything!
After an hour on the river we headed back up to their base and got fitted for a pair of flippers to go sledging. We went a little further down the road this time and hiked down past some caves to put in just below the big waterfall. The sledges are a kind of a cross between a boogie board and the front of a kayak. You lay on your stomach with your arms at about 90 degrees and run the rapids head first. It was a lot more physically demanding than rafting because we had to constantly kick to move through the currents and fight to stay in the right spot over the rapids. We had a lot of fun, but both of us had sore ankles and were definitely out of breath by the end. I guess biking around the country can't get us in shape for everything!
On Sunday we rode our bikes to Ogo to go Zorbing on the longest tracks in New Zealand. We arrived shortly after a tour bus group, but after waiting for a few rounds we were driven up to the top of the hill with our Ogos in tow. We climbed together into what amounts to an enormous hamster ball and they dumped in enough water to make everything good and slippery before sealing it up. Once the track was clear we walked towards the edge of the hill to get the ball rolling, and then slid and spun around inside as we zig-zagged down the track.
We had really settled into our campsite and so we were a bit sad to leave town on Monday morning, but we had plans to stop and check out some of the more stunning geothermal features on our way to Reporoa, so we were excited to get on our way.
For more pictures from our adventures in Rotorua, check out the photo post!
For more pictures from our adventures in Rotorua, check out the photo post!
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