The Spa
Next on the agenda was spa day at Wai Ariki, a new spa built by the local iwi (tribe). We booked the works. First the “restorative journey”—a series of pools, showers, saunas, ice baths, herbal baths, and mud. At the fire and ice room, we went back and forth from the hot saunas to cold dips, including an ice room where ice chips were offered as rub. Even better, buckets filled with ice water were hanging from the ceiling. With one yank of a rope, frigid water poured over your head. There was a lot of screaming involved in that one. But it really is invigorating to go from hot to cold.
The water menu continued to the natural geothermal pools. The pools were located in an open pavilion and, being winter, the air was crisp. There were different pools with different temperatures and different mineral contents. One pool had jets and waterfalls and others had calm still waters. An herbal pool was suffused with traditional Maori healing herbs. A separate room offered the joys of mud. Matt skipped the mud bath. I went for it and rubbed it all over. It felt good but it was really messy and hard to wash off.
All of this took about 90 minutes. Then another 90 minutes for massages and voila, relaxation, soft muscles, and calm mind. We ended the day in another set of pools while we watched the sunset.
What a great day. And it was only getting started. We had a forest to visit.
Redwoods Tree Walk
After dinner at Atticus Finch (yes, the name of a restaurant serving an eclectic mix of pretty good food) we drove to the Redwood Forest for the night light show and canopy walk. The forest was lit up with lanterns and lights strung through the branches giving the trees a subtle colorful glow.
Why are there redwoods in New Zealand? Well, there are all sorts of flora and fauna that are here because, in the days before understanding invasive species and protecting a native environment, someone thought it would be a good idea to plant various exotic trees to see which would survive and flourish. This redwood stand was part of that effort. Originally planted around 1900 as a source for timber, the trees are now protected and are not harvested. Instead, they have been recruited into giving tourists as amazing tree walk, a series of suspension bridges passing through the forest canopy.
I have to admit, walking on the bridges was difficult for me. I don’t like being on exposed heights. Even worse, the bridges were very narrow, and I was bounced up and down by the steps of people walking in front and behind. I hung on to the “railing,” and went as fast as I could from platform to platform. I made it but I was glad to be out of the swinging bridges and on solid ground.
Whew, that was the grand tour of Rotorua. We will certainly go back for more spa time and maybe a revisit to the thermal area.
A Yank Among the Kiwis 