This picture was actually taken on Tuesday. Reg took me
to a park in downtown Rotorua. The park contains at least
100 active hot springs bubbling from the ground. The areas are
all fenced off so guests won't fall in. The temperature in many of
the springs would scald anyone coming in contact.
Tuesday also! This Church is located on Lake Rotorua. Inside the
Church is an engraved window overlooking the lake. Jesus is engraved
in the glass and if you sit in the right pew, it looks like Jesus is walking
on water. There was a sign at the front door of the Church asking that
no pictures be taken inside. So I honored that request. It was kinda
"hokey" anyway!
On Wednesday morning, we decided that we deserved a day at the beach.
We headed up to the twin cities of Tauranga and Mt Maunganui. We drove right
through "kiwi" country - "kiwi" fruit that is.
There is an actual "kiwi" fruit welcome center!
If you click on this picture, you can see me at the "official kiwi observation deck".
This is a kiwi fruit orchard. The kiwi's grown on vines that resemble grape vines.
The kiwi's on these vines are ready to be picked and shipped to
your local neighborhood grocery store.
Inside the kiwi gift shop you could buy kiwi juice, kiwi jam, kiwi sun screen,
kiwi shampoo, kiwi key chains and this official "kiwi" Ohio Joel or Indiana Jones hat!
I applied for a part-time job as a "kiwi" orchard tour guide, but
due to the amount of food I have been consuming in New Zealand,
I couldn't fit in the drivers seat!
That's Mt. Maunganui in the background.
I asked one of the fisherpersons on the pier what this was,
and they told me it was a jelly fish. I asked if it were an "Apricot Jellyfish"?
Another guy came up to me and whispered in my ear (I think it was his wife who told me
it was a jelly fish) and said "It's really a starfish - making my "Apricot Jellyfish joke
irrelevant.
Someone told me this was a squid, but it looked like an octopus.
Anyway, it soon crawled over and jumped back into the ocean.
Reg and I had a great "fish and chips" lunch in a dockside restaurant.
I asked the waitress if the guy that caught this fish could only afford to
have half the fished stuffed? I don't think she got it!
Reg on the dock at Mt Maunganui
The beach is beautiful here, wide with lots of soft sand.
The waves were great today and there were many surfers.
Reg told his daughter that we saw only one "whale" on
the beach today! Very funny!
These two seagulls fought over this fish for about 30 minutes.
Round two!
Here I am sunning on the beach wearing Coppertone SPF 100
Ok your beard is starting to look RIDICULOUS.
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