2-3 October - The Rotorua Trip by Dot VK2DB - with an interruption or two ....
Psst Wasn't it John VK2ZOI and Dot VK2DB who got mislaid at one of the hot spots on this trip????)
Forty-three people took the Rotorua two day trip and it was worth it. On the way we stopped to see a Farm Show where Unni LA6RHA bottle fed a lamb and Vincent OM of Ruth IT9ESZ tried an old fashioned hand operated cream separator. After the show we were able to shop for handmade woollen items (plus other things) in the same building. Many DX YLs were sporting long thick "sheep" cardigans after that visit.

Oh, and we were surprised to see hats and other items of clothing made from possum for. Over the road was the Rainbow Springs Nature Sanctuary where we saw HUGE trout and to Bev's (VK6DE) delight, in the nocturnal house, a kiwi. ChtistineVK5CTY - When we arrived at our mote1 at lunchtime Birgitta SM0FIB realised she had made the wrong choice of tour by choosing the gondola and that she had missed out on a chance to see a real kiwi. Lynn ZL2PQ heard her expressing her disappoinment so, as Lynn had followed the bus in her own car, she offered to backtrack with Birgitta so she could go to Rairtbow Springs and see the kiwi.Of course Birgitta didn't want her to go to this much trouble but Lynn insisted. Definitely a good deed for the day and a very nice gesture to a visitor

We dropped our bags off and had a quick lunch at the hotel where we would stay that night. We ate lunch to the sound of a huge boiling mud puddle going `blurp blurp' and from the dining room window viewed geysers and steam clouds. We were all thrilled to be right on the edge of the thermal action, Then it was on to the Buried Village, Tarawera, The village of Te Wairua was destroyed by a volcano in 1886 and part of it had been carefully dug out. That was a very interesting afternoon, Monday evening was a concert and hangi at the Tamaki Village. We had to choose our `Chief of our Waka'. The Waka (canoe) was our bus and John VK2Z0I was chosen chief mainly because he was sitting in the front seat and was the only one the driver could hear. If ever you are in New Zealand go to a hangi (on a marae). You are met at the gate, challenged, formally welcomed, entertained and then fed. The food is cooked in earth ovens (below ground) and the whole evening is one you won't forget.

Tuesday was the trip to the Hidden Valley with hot springs, boiling mud pools and GEYSERS. Christine VK5CTY was quite overcome at actually meeting an old geyser as she used to teach about them and had never seen one. Of course it could have been the sulphury smell that brought the tears to her eyes.

We had a three hour cruise on Lake Taupo and called in to see the Huka Falls on our way back to Hamilton.

We were thrilled with the whole trip as we saw places that we wouldn't have if we had been touring alone.