Rotorua Day Trip

One of the best things about living where we do is that you are so much closer to other great places in New Zealand so day trips are really achievable without too much driving. Yesterday the weather was beautiful, not a cloud in the sky, so we took off early to explore Rotorua. While Miss 17 had been there a few weeks ago on a school geography trip, the rest of us hadn't been there for years and years. We crammed as much as we could into our day.

First stop was to Noel Lemming's to buy a new breadmaker as mine had packed a sad the day before but that's a whole other story for another day.

Rotorua Museum was our first tourist destination. This beautiful old building opened in 1908 as a Bath House. It was designed in the style of European spas and was the government's first major investment in tourism. It offered therapeutic treatments of arthritis, rheumatism and 'cases of nervous debility'. There was a list of the different treatments and their prices on the wall. Two of the more obscure and considered dangerous today would have been the x-ray treatment or you could have an electric current running through the bath water if you wished. Some of the original baths still exist in place but most of them have been removed due to to deterioration. In the basement you could see the piping that was used to carry the water through the building. This piping needed to be accessed easily because of the corrosive nature of the water and replacement of the pipes was continual. We also watched and experienced the story of the Pink and White Terraces of Rotomahana and the surrounding area. There were other exhibitions on display too, all very interesting.

On route to the lake front for lunch we found a yarn bombed tree. 

While we ate lunch overlooking the lake, the boys spotted the paddle boats. We then enjoyed 20 minutes of leg exercise while we cruised, raced and trying to corner swans - husband! The biggest child of them all sometimes.

We went to the Skyline Gondola and Luge next. I didn't go on the luge as I preferred to take photos.

The view from up there was spectacular.

The Agrodome Farm Show and Farm Tour was next. We were introduced to the different types of sheep that roam the farms here in New Zealand. Farmed for their fleece and meat.

We saw a sheep being shorn which doesn't look at all comfortable for the sheep,

 lambs being fed,

the heading dog rounding up three ducks

and the hunter-ways. 

We hopped on board a tractor and trailer for a tour around the farm stopping at the sheep and lambs for a dose of cuteness. I would have loved to bring one home but it wouldn't fit in my bag.

The alpacas were friendly especially if you had food pellets in your hand.

Maybe a little too friendly at times.

We finished off the day with a round of mini-golf, dinner and then the drive home. 

A fantastic fun-filled spring day being tourists in our own country. Will we go back to Rotorua one day? Absolutely, definitely! 

Birthday Cake

Earlier this week we had a birthday celebration. My youngest turned 13! I now have three teenagers in the house, however this won't be for too long as Miss 17 finishes school this year and is planning to move to Christchurch to study next year (and coincidentaly the boyfriend lives there too). 

The crocheted birthday banner was hung up and then it was on to the cake.

One day when I was standing in the supermarket checkout aisle I spotted a magazine with a beautiful checkered cake on the front cover. I flicked through the pages to the instructions for the cake and thought "that looks easy, so impressive and just the cake I'd like to make". I figured that I could probably find the directions of putting it altogether on Pinterest. I was right, there it was, with lots of other ideas too.

The birthday was on Tuesday but I started the process on the Suday before as I wanted to freeze the cakes to make them easier to work with. I made a double mixture of a trusted old cake recipe, kept one half vanilla and then added cocoa to the other half of the mixture. Once they had cooled down, into the freezer they went and the soon to be birthday boy was none the wiser to the ultimate plan for them.

Tuesday came and birthday boy was up, showered and dressed before I got out of bed. Presents were given, the favourite one being a World Cup Final replica ball. While he was at school I set to work. 

Step 1 find the pictorial instructions on Pinterest. 

Step 2 make chocolate ganache. Put 200g of dark chocolate and 125ml of cream into a microwave bowl and heat for 1min 30 on high. Then stir, stir, stir until it has all blended together. Leave to cool (I put mine in the fridge).

Step 3 cut the cakes. You need to cut all four cakes into pieces like this.

To do this find two circular shapes that will make all the pieces about the same width. I used a bowl and cut around it with a knife and a cookie cutter.

All the cakes cut.

Step 4 put the pices back together like this.

Start 5 layer the cakes with a thin spread of ganache between the layers to hold them together. So, the layers alternate the cake flavour on the outside - chocolate, vanilla, chocolate, vanilla.

Step 6 cover the entire cake in the remaining chocolate ganache. I had just enough. Return the cake to the fridge for the ganache to harden. 

Cake time finally came. The cake looked quite impressive before it was cut into due to its size . No hint of the inside surprise. With bated breath I waited for the first cut and secret birthday wish by the birthday boy. Then I sliced it into pieces for everyone. YES! It worked! A checkered cake.

This was a particularly delicious cake and I think it was due to the real chocolate used in the ganache. Enjoy in moderation.