Day 53. Waihi Beach via The Moon and Rotorua

Only on the road 10 minutes this morning when we drove past a sign for 'Craters of the Moon'. Thinking this was probably some kiddies amusement park we were tempted to drive on, but curiosity got the better of us.

Glad it did.

Turned out to be a vast set of hissing vents, gushing geysers and farting mudpools. All going off at once, and all smelling like thirty thousand rotten eggs.

Most of the geo-thermal sites in NZ are sacred to the Maoris and have been given suitably reverential names. This place only became active in the 1950's though, when a nearby Power station started having an effect on subterranean pressure levels, and it was some bright spark at the local tourist board who came up with the Crater idea.



Bit of a con really, as there were no craters - or moondust for that matter - to be seen anywhere.

Had lunch 40 miles up the road at Rotorua, another spa town renowned for its bubbling mud. But to be honest, we were keen to be somewhere that didn't stink like a Glasto portaloo, so didn't hang around.



Far more noteworthy was a 50ft Kiwi fruit we spotted at the side of the road at Te Puke (pretty hard to miss actually). Excitement reached fever pitch when we realised it was possible to climb right up inside the bugger.

Smiles were quickly removed from faces however when we caught the end of the Ashes coverage from Adelaide.

Depressing end to a good day.