Kia Ora

Greetings from Rotorua.
After several days absence without access here I am again!
Shirley and I are now in Rotorua, New Zealand and enjoying the fresh sulphur smells from the many volcanic outlets all around this area. To be truthful, they are not in the slightest intrusive. After a few hours you don't even notice them!
So, what's been happening, I hear you ask?
We spent longer in Aukland than we expected (the reason for this I will impart in due course).
Whilst there we met up with Steve, ZL1TPH and 'Brian'. Apologies, Brian. I didn't write down your callsign. Maybe you can remind me?
We had a most interesting chat over coffee and beer in the Langham Hotel (highly recommended, if you are ever here). I hope to follow-up on several subject matters with both Steve and Brian on our return home next month.
We missed the next day for reasons to be revealed anon.
The drive down to Rotorua was uneventful with Shirley sharing the driving on the slightly more busy NZ roads than we had become used to in Australia.
Our first observation is that we saw more cows than sheep. Where are they all?
Our second observation is that this is not called 'the land of the long white cloud' for nothing. Although yesterday was quite clear with the moon in its last quarter and almost overhead in the evening, today it has RAINED. Our visit to the Whakarwarewa Thermal Village was not spoilt by the rain but at times it was difficult to tell the difference between the low clouds and the rising steam from the numerous thermal vents. However, what a place! Well worth the visit.
A third observation is that Japanese tourists must be made of asbestos......We visited the Polynesian Spa. The lakeside Spa has 5 pools of increasing temperature as you approach the lake side. The hottest is at 42C, the lowest at below 38C. We could just stand the 42C for a few minutes. One Japanese tourist was fast asleep in the hot pool.........At least, we think he was asleep! We'll check out whether is is still there this evening..... The Polynesian Spa is worth the trip to Rotorua if all else fails to please (it won't).
Tomorrow, Lake Taupo.