Day 3!

Itinerary highlights: Waiotapu, Zorb,Tiki Lodge, Lake Taupo

1st destination of the day is Waiotapu, or, if u prefer, thermal wonderland. According to the brochure, Wai-O-Tapu meants sacred waters. It is basically this hydrothermal place that is sulphur loaded. Of course there are other minerals in there but the smell of sulphur is overpowering!

Main attraction there is the Lady Knox Geyser which will shoot up water up to 20m high at 10.15 daily. Imagined it to be a natural phenomenon and was pretty impressed by its punctuality. How come some geyser will erupt at 10.15am everyday???

Got there early, so took some pictures to entertain ourselves a little. As we waited, we started to think if some guy will just come out and press and button and the eruption begins. Will be SO anti-climax. I can imagine someone saying "Hey guys, thanks for coming, I'll just have to press a button right there..." Haha maybe people will throw cameras at him.

Anyway at 10.15, some uncle really appeared. Was telling us about the history of this place and threw some bio-degradable substance into the geyser and some water started to spill... Disappointing. I was tricked into thinking it is going to be a natural thing!


Since we're there, we went on a foot trail for explore this thermal wonderland. I should have read the geographical descriptions on the brochure of those different thermal pools. I would have been more impressed with the formations. That day everything is just holes, boiling water/mud, sulphur......

Boiling mud pool

The primrose Terrace

Artist's Palette. Minerals are exposed to our atmosphere and they show themselves in a variety of locations and colours depending on the water levels. There's yellow, green, blue and red!

Camera has problems capturing the colours but colours are quite faint to begin with.

Rainbow Crater. I think... Don't remember the name. I just realise rainbow has 7 letters, just nice for 7 colours. Is it intentional to spell it with 7 letters?

Its bubbling!

Me and Onyx

Look! the branch is silver!

Water in jade green.

There is so much sulphur deposits there that the air is totally infused with sulphur. Staying there for too long makes you a sulphite (Jing, 2008). Haha, referencing. jing said we're becoming a sulphite. I thought it was very creative.

Next up, Zorb! Zorbbing is when you go inside this large ball thing, they'll pump in some water into the ball and then roll you down the hill! It sounds pretty bo liao actually. Haha.. It is like being thrown into a washing machine. Got water all over and you are spinning spinning.... Come some dynamo.

You get the idea...

I believe I'm in that ball.

Did the zorb with Aik Khoon. Thought we will collide into each other while tumbling down but didnt happen. Haha.. It is pretty safe actually. You are just sliding in the ball.

Before the zorb. Everybody looking a little listless. Our zorbbing certificates.

After!

Lesson learnt. Next time you are feeling listless, try tossing yourself into a washing machine. Maybe it'll do the trick. Please tell me if it works.

After that, we drove to Taupo. This is our accomodation at Taupo, called Tiki Lodge. We messed the place up within minutes of arrival. The room is much bigger than Cactus Jack, much to our delight!

To those who think i am wearing too little to the trip. There, I am wearing more now. I am still smart k.. If i know it is going to be cold i'll wear my jeans!Went to catch a sunset at lake taupo. The first thing those travel agency people said about lake taupo was.. " It is the largest lake in NZ and it can fit Singapore in, isnt it amazing?" eeerrrr... yes.

The view was really nice. Sunset mode on the camera orang-ify everything.Explored the place abit and went back to the accomodation. There were limited bathing cubicles so Andrea and me waited for the 2nd round. Chased Ian out to bathe as well so that we can do some girls talk. In the end started discussing about Saddam and Osama. Haha.. Ian was so upset we chased him out just so that we can discuss whether Osama is alive or not. Haha.. Who told you girls' talk is bimbotic? Girls talk can get very political and intellectual. :)