The first night here I went "tourist" and paid my ten bucks to go to the Polynesian spa. I never understood which were the acid or the alkaline pools, but i soaked everywhere I could in varying temperatures from mild to boiling hot. And found a person who didnt only speak Japanese - another young brit who his selling his house and moving to kiwi. The british pound is worth so much here - they can get so much.

The next day I set out and hiked around the shore of Lake Rotarua and there you can find all the thermal activity you can stand for free. The sound is deafening of bubbling and birds. The waters are very acid and there is nothing for the birds to eat but they come and soak to get rid of some kind of foot fungus - I guess just like the humans do.

MM risked her life and camera to get these pix for you. Yes its all boiling water and mud, yes me and my fujifilm were all alone in a veritable wilderness doing it for YOU.

Note: on the way to Rotarua the bus had a lunch stop at Taupo on Lake Taupo. Well I didnt have lunch i walked like a fiend as much as I could in 20 mins. WOW. This is a triathletes town. Runners, bike shops, swimming heaven in the late, altitute, everything. Clara sat beside me on the bus and gave me the scoop. She is "born and bred in Taupo". I'm coming back to Taupo.

Pictured to your right:

• mm at the polynexian spa either in an acid or alkaline pool
• boiling pools right on the lake for free - but too hot to get in!
• bubbling mud
• bubbling, boiling water - it might have swallowed me
• a Pokeko bird..pulple breast, red head and beak, eight inches tall, squaks, very cute.
• me putting my hand in the boiling water to show you how hot it is
• bubbling, gurgling mud