Steam and Vents

This mouring I'm in Rotorua, in the geologically active part of the North Island. Right next to the city center is a park filled with all sorts of hot water springs, steam vents and bubbling mud pits. The town is filled with the smell of sulfer, but not so over-powering that you couldn't learn to ignore it. So of course, it's a bit of a resort town, but more or less closed up for the season. It reminds me a bit of Ashland, OR in the winter when the town in still sort of open but really you can see that it's nothing like the summer rush. There are tons of empty cafe and restuarants and bars, but where are all the people? It strikes me that NZ doesn't seem as much of a "going out" sort of country as others. Maybe people just eat and entertain mostly at home?

I've found myself taking lots of architectual photos as usual, of 19th century building and turn of the last century. It's funny to see slightly different styles of Victorians, with tin roofs. Maybe that the was the more common style cause I saw the same in S. Africa. Could it be that being blessed with abundant redwood made SF's Victorians slightly odd?

I stopped at a colonial farm house on my way down with a great 19th century style garden. There's lots more tree ferns here and it slight odd to see them inter-mixed with elms and such. All sots of people have been complaingin about how cold it's been in the last few days as if the winter is really settling in. But actaully it's been a bit warmer the SF, so it's felt quite pleasant to me. But the trees are turning and it does feel like a real Fall.

Next I'm off to the coast and Waerenga-o-kuri where my friend Andy and her partner Tony live. She's teaching in tiny school in very rural NZ, so I'm curious to see what that's like and it'll be great to see Andy. I haven't seen her in like 8 years when we were both in Deli at the same time.