I got to fly solo today! And the very first application I assessed, I declined. *cue evil cackle*. Threw my arms in the air and declaimed "I've got the power!", much to everyone's amusement.

All jokes aside, today was really fun, and it was nice to feel productive again. Tell you what, though, I shall have to find an excuse to get up at least once an hour and have a little wander; I have the sorest backside tonight, just from sitting all day.

Still sorting through my New Zealand photos; today's peek behind the door relates to the trip.



Rotorua has a very distinctive smell, due to the sulphur which is escaping from the ground. Unlike a lot of my friends, though, I didn't think it was too bad. It's an eerie feeling, walking through scrub then suddenly sighting wisps of steam rising up above the scrub; in places it looked like an alien landscape.

The Champagne pool is the largest of the hot springs/pools in the Waiotapu geothermal area.





And my favourite photo - people walking along the edge, in front of us, almost disappearing in the vapour clouds:



The Oyster pool:



and the Devil's Bath:



After our wander around the geothermal areas, we returned to Rotorua for a visit to the museum, which began life as a Bathhouse for hydrotherapy:



Again, I could have spent a lot more time in this place, but distant pastures beckoned....