Rotorua was my next stop. It is situated in a geothermically active region so there are lots of interesting things to visit in the area. Also, tons of hot springs! I spent a day hanging out with a lovely Belgian woman I met in my hostel. We had a lively political discussion on the porch of the hostel, then we visited a mud pool (boiling mud!) and Kerosene Creek hot spring. Waiotapu Thermal Wonderland was the highlight of my time in the area. I loved seeing all the different thermal features. I also visited Craters of the Moon, which is an area where steam from underground vents up through the earth. It wasn’t as exciting as Waiotapu. 

I stayed overnight in Taupo, then headed on to Napier. Napier was leveled by an earthquake in 1931. They rebuilt the city in less than two years, and almost all the buildings were built in the Art Deco style. In the 80s, they realized the value of their beautiful architecture and now they have protected the buildings and worked to preserve the style of the city. I took a lovely walking tour with a sweet older lady as a guide. It was really interesting to see the different design elements in the buildings. I also had the best meal of my trip so far while I was in Napier, a spring risotto at a restaurant called Mr. D. Yum. Napier is in the Hawke’s Bay, which is know for its wineries. So I stopped at Elephant Bay winery for a tasting on my way down to Wellington.