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In many places on the drive in from Taupo, steamy vapours are seen to issue from rivers and cavities, and as you approach Rotorua, they become much more numerous. In Rotorua itself, the whole city seems to be a bubbling cauldron, with countless little patches of water giving off steam, some even bubbling away.
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After over two weeks of squally weather in New Zealand, the rain has now set in seriously and pretty well continuously. This limited our getting around a bit, and to keep dry during the steadiest of rain, we visited the Rotorua Museum, a magnificent Tudor style mansion, constructed in 1908 (opened 100 years ago today, as it happens) as a bathhouse. The building was never fully completed, but as a centenary project, it is now undergoing extensions to fulfil the architect's original design. The bathhouse was used for the rehab of injured soldiers after the first world war. The Museum is well worth a visit without needing rain as an excuse. The preserved bathhouse rooms are particularly interesting, as are the exhibits and the basement areas.
A cinema room shows a movie with the history of the district. This is fascinating, and extemely well produced. The New Zealanders involved had a wicked sense of humour, and did not take the movie project too seriously, making it very entertaining as a result. It is notable that the Maoris of the 19th Century discovered the value of money and how they could make it easily by charging the tourists to view the attractions. That fine tradition carries on today, as mentioned. It was a great surprise (for we did not know it was coming) when the seats "rattled and rolled" during the earthquake / volcano scenes.
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