Maori Village
On our way through Rotorua we stopped in the living Maori Village in Whakarewarewa Rotorua. There you walk through a town that uses the underlying hot springs to provide energy for cooking, cleaning and heat. It was neat to watch (and feel) our first hot springs up close as they billowed warm steam through the cool air.
They used a series of channels to fill tubs or pools from the main springs.
And the kids asked US to take pictures of them playing when we passed by! Very photo friendly family I guess. 🙂
There are no hired actors here, everyone is a descendant of the original Maori townsmen. You can watch the local family perform traditional Maori Dances.
We even got to take a picture with one of the afterwards.
We then toured the above ground cemetery located right in the town. Interesting looking cemetery with smoke circling the tombs.
Romantic Natural Hot Spring Spa
Our next stop was the Wairakei Terraces & Visitor Centre NETCOR in Taupo. This natural hot sprng stop was a completely different experience than the first. A much more quiet and romantic location these hot springs are partially man maded but are filled with run off from the natural hot springs above. The claclium deposist left from all of the mineral water covers the once man made surface and now is completly integrated with all the natural colors. We spam in the spa for well over an hour. (Supposedly the minral bath helps joints an aches too.)
Sean Shadmand 
