ニュージーランドを初訪問、南北両島を車で無理やり巡る弾丸ツアー⑤『地球の鼓動が聞こえる場所、Rotorua周辺の地熱地帯』/The first visit to New Zealand, Bullet tour to drive both of North and South Islands⑤“Listen to the heartbeat of the earth, Geothermal area of Rotorua”
(黄色部分が今回の旅程）
From Auckland to Geothermal area of Rotorua
After spending one night in Auckland, the next morning, we headed to Rotorua, a geothermal area approximately 230 km south on the North Island and one of the highlights of our journey. Much of our travels focus on natural wonders with geological features such as volcanoes and caves, and Rotorua became our geothermal destination, reminiscent of Iceland. It was something we had been looking forward to on this trip.
(English text continues to the latter half of the page)
Aucklandから地熱地帯Rotoruaへ
Aucklandに１泊した翌朝は、北島におけるハイライトである約230㎞南の地熱地帯Rotoruaへ向かう。我が家の旅行の大部分は、火山や鍾乳洞など大自然の中でも地学的な特徴があるところ、Rotoruaはアイスランド以来の地熱地帯になる。今回の旅行でも前から楽しみにしていたところ。
途中のTirauという街で出会った3頭の動物。ツーリストインフォメーションの周囲に展開しており、これは目を惹く。
Rororuaには昼頃に到着したものの、Airbnbで予約した宿のチェックインが15:00なので、まずはAgrodome（アグロドーム）に立ち寄る。ここはRotorua郊外に350エーカー（東京ドーム約32個分）の牧草地を抱えた“農場テーマパーク”。大きなトラクター型バスで園内を1周するほか、屋内でファームショーを見ることができる。日本にも類似の施設はあるが、ここのスケールは一回りデカい。
ファーム一周の後は屋内施設に移ってファームショーの開幕。これはあまり期待していなかったけど、かなり見ごたえがあった。メインステージのダグアウトに各種類の羊を並べてから、ステージ中央の階段に登壇させる、羊の毛刈りに、牧羊犬のアヒル追い込み、乳絞りの実演など、時には観客にも参加させてショーが進んでいく。一部のプログラムだけ下に動画を貼っておくけど、動物が好きな方はぜひ本物を見ることをお勧め。
Rotoruaの宿に到着、翌朝は地熱地帯を訪問
Rotoruaの宿はAirbnbで予約した1棟貸しの住宅、広々としたリビングに卓球台が２つ置けるくらいのベランダがつき、さらに２つのベッドルームにそれぞれバスルームがついているという広々とした物件。街の中心まで歩いて10分くらいと立地も抜群で、2人で16,500円/泊もとてもお値打ちで最高の条件！・・・なんだけど、惜しむらくはクリーニング業者が怠慢で、外のゴミバケツは何日も中身を捨ててないらしく一杯々々、ベランダには割れたビール瓶がそのままで、部屋の隅には干からびたゴキブリまで見つけてしまった。家主はニュージーランド人だが、恐らく投資家で近くに住んでおらず管理は業者に任せっきりなんだろうが、ちょっと頼んだ業者が悪かったらしい。清潔感さえ維持できれば最高の物件だったのに実に惜しい！
翌朝からはいくつか地熱地帯を周ることにする。まずはRotoruaから車で20分ほどのワイオタプ・サーマルワンダーランドへ。この地熱地帯のハイライトは毎日決まった時間に噴き出すレディノックス間欠泉。これは自然噴出と言うよりも、係員が決まった時間に観光客を集めて、噴出口から洗剤を流し込むと温泉が吹き上がる仕組み。最初に発見した人は偉い！
入場料は$NZ32.5/人。広大な園内にはシャンパン池という巨大な温泉湖のほか、あちらこちらで泥湯の噴出が見られる。
ワイオタプサーマルランドを出た後は、少し道を戻りワイマング火山渓谷へ。こちらも湖の周りに広がる一面の地熱地帯で、世界最大の沸騰湖フライパンレークや、青い熱湯がまぶしいインフェルノクレーターなど、我が家の大好物の光景が広がる場所。
ただ、ここまで巡ってきて気づいたのは、「このまま好きなころを周っていては、金がかかってしょうがない！」ということ。アメリカの国立公園の場合、たとえばヨセミテ国立公園では初日に公園事務所で＄US 20（約2,900円、車の場合）を払えばそこから7日間は全地域を観て回れる。ところがRotorua周辺の地熱地帯の見どころはいずれも私有地で、各所でそれぞれ3～4,000円相当の入場料を取られてしまう。こうした地熱地帯のほかRotoruaの周辺には、多くのアクティビティ施設があるが、かなり厳選して臨まないと大変な散財になる。
(Yellow shadow is the itinerary of the article)
From Auckland to Geothermal area of Rotorua
After spending one night in Auckland, the next morning, we headed to Rotorua, a geothermal area approximately 230 km south on the North Island and one of the highlights of our journey. Much of our travels focus on natural wonders with geological features such as volcanoes and caves, and Rotorua became our geothermal destination, reminiscent of Iceland. It was something we had been looking forward to on this trip.
On the way, we encountered three animals in the town of Tirau. They were displayed around the Tourist Information center, catching our eyes.
Although we arrived in Rotorua around noon, our Airbnb check-in wasn’t until 3:00 PM. To pass the time, we decided to make a stop at the Agrodome. This place, located on the outskirts of Rotorua, boasts a 350-acre farm theme park (equivalent to about 32 Tokyo Domes). Visitors can take a large tractor-shaped bus for a tour around the park and enjoy an indoor farm show. While Japan has similar facilities, the scale here is on a whole different level.
After completing the farm tour, we moved to the indoor facility for the Farm Show, an event I hadn’t set high expectations for, but it turned out to be quite impressive. They lined up various types of sheep in the main stage dugout, showcased sheep shearing, demonstrated herding ducks with sheepdogs, and even involved the audience in activities like milking. Some parts of the show are captured in the attached videos, but for those who love animals, I highly recommend experiencing it in person.
Arriving at accommodation of Rotorua, next morning is Geothermal area visit
We arrived at our Airbnb accommodation in Rotorua, a spacious house we rented exclusively. The living room was roomy, with enough space for two ping pong tables on the veranda. Additionally, each of the two bedrooms had its own bathroom. The house was well-located, about a 10-minute walk to the city center, and the price of \16,500 per night for two people made it a fantastic deal. However, there was one downside: the cleaning service was negligent. The outdoor trash bin was overflowing, and it seemed like it hadn’t been emptied for days. Broken beer bottles were left on the veranda, and we even found a dried-up cockroach in one corner of the room. The landlord, a New Zealander, is likely an investor and probably doesn’t live nearby, leaving the property management entirely to a service that didn’t do a good job. It’s a shame because with proper cleanliness, it would have been an excellent property.
The next morning, we set out to explore several geothermal areas. First, we drove about 20 minutes from Rotorua to Wai-O-Tapu Thermal Wonderland. The highlight of this geothermal area is the Lady Knox Geyser, which erupts at a scheduled time each day. It’s more of a controlled demonstration than a natural eruption, as attendants gather tourists, pour detergent into the vent, and trigger the hot spring to spout. Whoever discovered this process initially deserves some credit!
https://youtu.be/EeqC1e9aXf
The entrance fee is $NZ32.5 per person. The vast park features a massive hot spring lake called Champagne Pool, and you can observe mud pools erupting in various spots throughout the area.
After leaving Wai-O-Tapu Thermal Wonderland, we retraced our steps a bit and headed to Waimangu Volcanic Valley. This area also surrounds a lake with extensive geothermal features, including the world’s largest boiling lake, Frying Pan Lake, and the dazzlingly blue Inferno Crater, presenting scenes that we, as enthusiasts of such spectacles, thoroughly enjoyed.
However, what we realized after touring this far was that ‘Continuing to explore wherever we want is getting quite expensive!’ In the case of U.S. national parks, for example, in Yosemite National Park, you can pay $20 (approximately 2,900 yen, for a car) at the park office on the first day, and then you can explore the entire park for the next seven days. However, the attractions around Rotorua’s geothermal areas are all on private land, and each place charges an entrance fee equivalent to around 3,000 to 4,000 yen. In addition to these geothermal areas, there are many activity facilities around Rotorua, but unless you carefully select and plan, it can turn into quite a costly spree.