Huka falls, Orakei Korako Hidden Valley and Rotorua, Feb 10

Friday was a marathon day. We set off at 9am in two cars for Rotorua, stopping en route to see the Huka falls. This is an incredible waterfall where the Waikato river pushes through a narrow gorge. The water was a very surreal deep blue colour - something to do with the incorporation of air bubbles into it according to Nan. Then we stopped at Orakei Korako or the Hidden Valley - where you take a small ferry across a lake to see a thermal valley covered in boiling pools, hot springs, bubbling mud, walls of sulphur (stinking of rotten eggs) and calcium. The place was covered in a deck platform which you could walk over - it took us about an hour. there was even an aladdins cave, which is apparaently one of only two similar in the world. Our next stop was at Te Puia, a Maori cultural centre which also had more geysers, hot pools and even a kiwi house where we caught our first glimpse of the shy kiwi bird. The highlight of the day however was the Maori concert, where a hundred or so visitors were welcomed into the Marae (meeting house). At the beginning they wanted to elect a chief to act on behalf of the visitors and i was the chosen one! The attractive MC for the concert was a Maori maiden who introduced me to the proceedings, showing me how to do the Maori "Hongi" greeting - two nose to nose kisses while shaking hands. Of course i went for the third one! She pushed me away and said "later when these people are not looking". Then the head warrior came down from the platform wielding a large weapon and dressed in the full Maori warrior gear (grass skirt, feathers in his hair) and covered in tattoos. I had to stand ahead of the crowd and stare at him eyeball to eyeball while he did a welcome dance but it looked like an attack from where i was standing- the sword came within inches of my nose. I then had to walk forward to accept the welcome offering of silver fern leaves. When that was done, i was to lead to whole group into the meeting house, which meant that myself and the gang as special visitors were given the honour to sit in the front row. I was then called up onto the stage as chief to have a Hongi with the maori men - needless to say i wasnt trying the third kiss this time. The show that followed was a demonstrration of the Maori performing arts - brilliant dancing, chanting, juggling and lovely harmonious singing. Sinead captured a lot of the show on video which we will add into this blog ASAP. (keep checking!). It was a great day, entirely memorable, and Sinead, Nor and myself managed to find a local hotel to finish it all off with a nightcap. We are going there on sunday night for our final meal. Thats all for now folks

Huka Falls