"KAPA HAKA, KAPA HAKA"

Rotorua is the Maori capital if New Zealand. There is loads to do here so we had a couple of nights here.

First stop was the gondola and luge! The gondola has amazing views of Rotorua and at the top is the luge. It's like go karting except the karts are just sleds with wheels and a brake on them, and the tracks are all downhill so that gravity gets you going. You end up going so fast I thought I was going to lose control! As the helmet says, "Once is never enough!"

Next, we went in search of the elusive Kiwi as we've been determined to see one at some point. As in, the bird!  Much of their natural habitat has been destroyed and the only way to really see them is in a wildlife centre or sanctuary. As they're nocturnal we went back at night to see them. They are quite random! Their wings no longer work and instead they use their long, powerful legs to escape predators. They also can't see very well, so they use their big old beaks and hearing to locate food and threats. And they are just like big balls of fluff as their feathers are very fine and downy. Pretty cool, really.

It has to be said: Rotorua stinks! There are a lot of remnants from past volcanic activity - bubbling pools of sulphur are found throughout the town, and you can smell it everywhere. They're cool to look at though and there are also a few naturally heated foot baths for when you feel like a dip.

One of the main reasons I wanted to be in Rotorua at this time was for the Te Matatini Kapa Haka festival. Different Maori tribes come to compete for the title of best Kapa Haka and it only happens every other year, so we were really lucky to be here for it. Most tourists in Rotorua will go to a Maori village for a Kapa Haka performance and meal, but we didn't need to go as this was a whole day of the best performances of the Kapa Haka, as we were there for the Final.

It was the hottest day and it was intense! Each performance lasts about half an hour and seemed to have 3 parts. The opening part involving both men and women seems to tell a story, followed by a section where the women of the tribe sing and dance with poi. Then finally the men lead what looks like the war haka, a bit like the one you see the All Blacks do before an international. Except a million times better and more intense.

We didn't understand most of it as it was all in Maori! But it was a real experience. Sadly I don't have any pictures as cameras aren't permitted but you get a rough idea here.

Before we left Rotorua we also managed to squeeze in some white water rafting. We loved our hostel there, Blarney's Rock, and they had an awesome deal for white water rafting - only $89 for two people if doing it on Monday vs. $95 per person. We couldn't say no! The guys running it were really cool and told us all about the significance of the river, and said thanks for it in Maori before we entered the water and also before we shot down a 7m high waterfall, the highest one you can raft down in NZ!

The adventure doesn't stop here as next we're off to Waitomo for black water rafting. Just don't tell our insurers!