The Government Bath House at Rotorua

This impressive building was originally built in 1908 to attract tourists in an age when you 'took the waters" and it was believed that mineral water and mineral mud could cure everything.

These "chimneys" are all vents for the potentially nasty gases that came with the thermal waters. The hydrogen sulphide gas as well as being bad for your health also reacted with all metals, lead paint, copper pipes and even the wiring in phones.

There were about 20 to 30 therapeutic baths and several larger pools. The medics of the time could prescribe the mud bath, the mineral bath, plus massage and exercise. Also electrical options.

The wood is all local and stained to look like mahogany, while tiles - both roof and bathroom and floor, stained glass and almost everything was imported mostly from the UK. Look at the window in the lower right. Most of the windows are like this!

Now a museum, an art gallery and cafe.
Here some more on the history.

Plan to go to a lecture there tomorrow on contemporary photography.
After all the culture we cooled off with another swim.