Spent most of yesterday driving from Levin up to the Bay of Plenty. This is the Kiwi growing capital of New Zealand and the harvest is starting this time of year. Over 20,000 workers from the surrounding Islands are brought in to help pick and pack the fruit. The Kiwi fruit is abundant as it hangs from the manicured support structures. Can you imagine picking all those Kiwis?
Trent Cathy Nola and Doug by the Kiwi patch
Next we were off to Rotorua. This was a great place to warm up the plastic and spend lots of money viewing some pretty amazing things. We visited a Maori village where the residents live on a geothermal area. They cook their food in the steam coming from the earth, bath in the mineral filled warm water and heat their homes directly from the ground.
Mineral deposits and boiling water
The local people performed a wonderful show highlighting elements of their culture. My internet connection is too slow to upload a video so that will have to wait.
Next we went to a venue with a great show to teach about breeds of sheep, a shearing demonstration and watched some dogs working the sheep. The fellow doing the demo was superb as a showman and an entertainer.
Next we had a wonderful supper in Tauranga at a Turkish restaurant. My goodness the Kiwi cuisine has changed in 38 years!!! (Cathy and I find ourselves living in a time warp here where time should be frozen in the 1970's but has progressed to the current!)
Off to Warkworth tomorrow.
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