We did not like much the town of Rotorua, the city is very impersonal and cold. Moreover the hostels over there are not that nice, well one was good but too expensive (Treks, dorms NZ$27) and we opted for the cheapest (Cactus Jack, dorms NZ$22). However we really liked all the volcanic things Rotorua has to offer. It was fun to walk through Kuirau Park with all those pools of boiling mud, crater lakes, plenty of huffing steam and mineral baths (see pictures). We also went to the Maori village of Ohinimutu on the lake side to enjoy the nice view on the lake and also visit the famous church where on one of the windows there is a white representation of Jesus who appears to be walking on the lake. In the afternoon we went to Te Puia (NZ$45 entrance fee when buying tickets at Rotorua tourism office, if not it is NZ$50) where we saw another Maori show (it was funny to see some tourists trying to perform the haka!), a school for Maoris to learn the traditional skills of carving and weaving, the famous Kiwi bird (a nocturnal bird found only in New-Zealand which cannot fly, see pictures), the very famous Pohutu geyser who is nearly always in activity (erupts between 10 and 20 times a day), and a lots of hot pools of water/mud. After this interesting visit we drove up to Taupo where we were glad to find a great hostel, Tiki Lodge, very clean and modern with a terrace offering a superb view on the lake and the summits of the Tongariro National Park.
