Okay, so we now have another issue with this van! The bloody kitchen tap keeps leaking and a high pitched squeal is heard whenever the tap is turned to the off position! The only resolution is to switch the pump off. This means that the loo won't flush so a jug of water now sits conveniently on the side to clean the bowl. At the end of this hire, I must make a list of everything that has gone wrong!
Today has been a brilliant day. So much to do in Rotorua we opted for a visit to The Living Maori Village, Whakarewarewa, as starters. A combination of geothermal wonders with an authentic glimpse into Maori village life (exert taken from the brochure).
A one hour guided tour gave us a real insight into these peoples way of life including the utilising of the geothermal springs and steam boxes for cooking, bathing and heating. To read more
click here, There then followed a culture performance by the Maori singers and dancers.
Lunch was a traditional Hangi meal cooked in the steam boxes. Wow, the meat fell off the bone, that tender it was. Sweetcorn cooked in the hot springs, cabbage, potato, chicken and beef, delicious. The Pohuto and Te tohu geysers erupted every 45-60 minutes so we were pretty much guaranteed to see them. On the downside, the smell of sulphur is pretty pungent with the steam misting the glasses and camera lens. On the plus side, we were assured that if anyone had colds it would clear the sinuses and relieve the symptoms!
So loads of photos to show
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| 37 letters in the name! |
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| Boys from the village would swim in the freezing river water begging for coins from the tourists, a tradition that goes way back |
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| Bubbling boiling water |
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| Three years ago we are sure this hotel still had paying guests. Not anymore as it is slowly sinking and no one can get near to demolish it. |
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| The steam boxes. The box bottom left has a brick on it. These means do not open! Bottom right, cooking the sweetcorn. |
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| The hot baths. Clothing is used as plugs. Most of the bathing is done in the nude! |
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| The geysers. |
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| Village church and cemetery |
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| Who would have believed a duck family could survive here! |
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| Pukeko |
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| Dragonfly darting along the steamy pools |
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| Cicada |
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| Neocicindela tuberculata a species of tiger beetle |
Tomorrow we fly above the treetops again. Not as young or agile as three years ago I must say I'm a bit apprehensive!
4 comments:
The squealing from the pump may be air in the system.
Try opening the taps one at a time starting with the one furthest from the pump and run each one for 30 seconds or so. Make sure the tank is full first though. It could also be a result of the diesel in the tank but worth a try to bleed any air out.
Thanks, Dave, Ian is pretty sure the squeal is not from the pump. With the tap continually leaking he feels it's something to do with the tap mechanism. Alan keys were bought from Bunnings and he has tightened the nuts around the tap as best he can but it still squeals and leaks. He feels a new tap is needed but that will be down to the hire company. In the meantime, we can live with turning off the pump, just won't turn it on at night to flush the loo in case it wakes either Ian or me up, hence the jug.
"On the downside, the smell of sulphur is pretty pungent"
Indeed it is! I was glad to get on a plane out of there back in '96...
We found a free camp site in a car park at Rotorua and unfortunately the wind was blowing the sulpher fumes towards us. Not pleasent at all!
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