Rotorua

We left Hamilton around 0900 and drove south to Rotorua which took just over an hour.  We saw the hospital there where my brother works.

Rotorua is part of the Taupo Volcanic Zone, a geothermal field extending from White Island off the Bay of Plenty Coast to Mt Ruapehu far to the south. Rotorua's array of geothermal features - volcanic crater lakes, spouting geysers, bubbling mud pools, hissing fumaroles and colourful sinter terraces are very impressive (if a bit smelly).

From here we continued to Lake Taupo where we are staying for the night.

This is a view of the one of the bubbling mud pools and the Rotorua lake is in extras.