Stinkin good fun!

O.M.G. I'm stinkin'! And not from travellers poor hygiene (we're actually quite clean and often at the laundromat!). Its because Rotorua is a thermal wonderland, and as a result of all the sulphur etc it stinks! Everywhere! Of eggs! Remember in Chemistry classes when you mixed sulphur with i don't know what and a puff off stinky smoke came out...well times that by one hundred...no make that one million! Poo!

Despite the smell this has been the craziest few days so far. No lazing around for us. Yesterday we headed off to Wai-O-Tapu thermal wonderland just outside of Rotorua to see the volcanic landscape aplenty.

From collapsed craters, cold and boiling mud pools, water and steaming fumaroles this place was vast...and not so easy to navigate holding your nose! Went snap crazy as you'll see on the pics. So wish i had smell-a-vision for you!

After this we headed back to the hostel, via the supermarket, before rushing to the Polynesian Spa, where we hoped we could get rid of at least some of the smell. Nope. This place stunk just as much as we dipped ourselves in the thermal pools ranging from 39-42 degrees, ouch HOT! Relaxing it was, cleansing/cleaning...well thats debatable! It was back to the hostel for a long, hot shower.

Then today it was another jam-packed schedule of fun (minus doing our laundry, thats just dull!). Ok Mam, before you read on this is some of the stuff i couldn't tell you about
until i'd done it, but now i've done it you can know...thats right isn't it?! he!. First it was zorbing. While the girls watched safely from the balcony i was thrown around inside a waterfilled giant ball down a grass track. Absolutely hilarious...and so worth it. Infact i'm thinking about doing it back home (any takers?!). The funniest part was jumping through the hole to get in...and then trying to stand up - impossible!

Next on the list was the Skyline and the Gondola...a skylift, basically, no scariness there. But that would be no fun would it?...so Kim, Laura & I took the Luge back down - a kind of tobogan. Oooh my arms hurt from holding on. You speed down this track and round bends etc. Very funny, but flippin' sore. Did it again though, you know just for the craic! Had to come back up my a chair lift and that was scarier than the Luge.

Not content, Sharon and i decided to take part in the SkySwing. Described as being better than a bungy and scarier than a skydive we were hoisted up in this giant bungy ball then launched at 150mph across towards Rotorua. Eeeeek! Got the DVD but will apologise now as there is the odd swear word in there...actually that's a lie, there's lots. Sorry mum & dad, it was so scary! Prepared me for the skydive in Oz tho :-)

And now as we type away, Laura and Kim are basking in their very own mud pool and seeing if it really is like swimming in silk. Hmmmm. Hopefully have some pics of that soon! x