Rotorua
After Taupo (pronounced toe-paw), we went slightly West to Rotorua, an eggy smelling place with lots of geothermal activity. There are lots of geysers, bubbling mud pools and natural hot water. We went to Wakarewarewa village for a quick look, and saw the kids who dive into the river for coins that tourists throw in. The river is still very cold, but the small pool you can see is nice and warm. Renee thre in $1.20 for them to dive for.
We went down to Lake Rotorua for lunch. Renee used to be very scared of the swans, but there is wire along the shore so they can't get up anymore. They used to attack children and steal their sandwiches! We found a craft market and had a wander around, and saw this man doing chainsaw carvings using ponga logs (a New Zealand tree. The NZ version of the Seven Days of Christmas has a pukeko in a ponga tree!). He was very clever and he must have to be very careful.
On the way back to Auckland we stopped at the Agrodome for a sheep show which Patricia, the Swiss student, wanted to see. In the gift shop I found a Ruru (morepork)!! He was made out of NZ plant fibres and I thought he was great. Renee wanted to take him home, but he was a bit too expensive, so we just got a photo instead.
This is one of the sheep from the sheep show. I can't remember what type of sheep he is, but I think it is the one they use the fleece to make carpet. There were lots of different sheep, and they got them all up onto the stage and had sheep dogs as well.
Steve, who was doing the show, is also a shearer. Sheep shearers have to shear 300 sheep in 8 hours to make it in the profession. They get paid per sheep, so the faster they are, the more money they make. In New Zealand there are 4 million people and 40 million sheep!
After the show we went to the animal nursery to look at the lambs, and there were also some 5 day old sheep dog puppies. This type of sheep dog don't bark, they stare at the sheep to move them. The puppies were so cute!
We are now back in Auckland and I am staying in Renee's room (with a Dora the Explorer mattress on the bed). Renee is going to take me into her mum's school soon, but I've lost some of my beads with all that travelling so I am going to have a break for some repairs first.
Hope all the owls are having as great a time as me!
We went down to Lake Rotorua for lunch. Renee used to be very scared of the swans, but there is wire along the shore so they can't get up anymore. They used to attack children and steal their sandwiches! We found a craft market and had a wander around, and saw this man doing chainsaw carvings using ponga logs (a New Zealand tree. The NZ version of the Seven Days of Christmas has a pukeko in a ponga tree!). He was very clever and he must have to be very careful.
On the way back to Auckland we stopped at the Agrodome for a sheep show which Patricia, the Swiss student, wanted to see. In the gift shop I found a Ruru (morepork)!! He was made out of NZ plant fibres and I thought he was great. Renee wanted to take him home, but he was a bit too expensive, so we just got a photo instead.
This is one of the sheep from the sheep show. I can't remember what type of sheep he is, but I think it is the one they use the fleece to make carpet. There were lots of different sheep, and they got them all up onto the stage and had sheep dogs as well. 
Steve, who was doing the show, is also a shearer. Sheep shearers have to shear 300 sheep in 8 hours to make it in the profession. They get paid per sheep, so the faster they are, the more money they make. In New Zealand there are 4 million people and 40 million sheep!
After the show we went to the animal nursery to look at the lambs, and there were also some 5 day old sheep dog puppies. This type of sheep dog don't bark, they stare at the sheep to move them. The puppies were so cute!
We are now back in Auckland and I am staying in Renee's room (with a Dora the Explorer mattress on the bed). Renee is going to take me into her mum's school soon, but I've lost some of my beads with all that travelling so I am going to have a break for some repairs first.
Hope all the owls are having as great a time as me!
posted by Sophie the Tawny Owl at
9:47 PM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home