The Cosy Coop: 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.