Well, we packed a lot in today! I will have to try to be succinct (not my strong suit!) if I want to get this post finished. For a small country, New Zealand certainly packs a punch!

Government Gardens Sculpture Walk, Rotorua

An early morning stroll around a small lake to see some sculptures in a lovely setting. Interesting works, mostly made of local stone, some with quite cryptic titles.

Ghost Soldier by Rory McDougall

Tank Trap by Jamie Pickernell

Hinemoa and Tutanekai by Filipe Tohi

Greed by Bodhi Vincent

Cant by Jamie Pickernell

3Mirage

In their own words “3 Mirage is proud to be the first in New Zealand to pioneer the integration of the latest audio-visual technologies with the world of art — creating a transformative and multi-sensory experience that challenges how we see and feel creative expression.” It’s a mind-bending interactive series of rooms with audio-visual projections that are just fabulous. I will share some videos when I have a stronger internet connection!

Waimangu

Waimangu is home to a geothermal system formed as the result of a volcanic eruption on 10 June 1886. We spent a couple of hours exploring and photographing the unique geothermal features – hot springs, geysers, silica terraces and steaming vents. Just fascinating.

Mud pools at Wai-o-tapu

One thing that Waimangu doesn’t have is bubbling mud pools, so we popped into the mud pools at Wai-O-Tapu to see boiling, bubbling mud. Amazing primordial landscape. And spider webs too.

Lava Glass Sculpture Garden

Lava Glass, located just outside Taupō, is home to a striking sculpture garden and contemporary glass gallery. Set amidst landscaped grounds, the garden showcases large-scale works by master glass artist Lynden Over, transforming the space into a vibrant fusion of art and nature.

Huka Falls

Our last stop for the day was at the famous Huka Falls, New Zealand’s most visited natural attraction. We heard the falls before we saw them. The Waikato River normally 100m wide, narrows to just 15m wide as it passes through a hard volcanic canyon, and around 200,000 litres of water per second rushes over the 11 metre drop. It is powerful and impressive. The water is always a vivid aqua colour, which is created by the clear water reflecting the blue light and the air bubbles in the water.

Here’s some video of Huka Falls. Make sure you have the sound on!