The plan today was to pop down to the edge of Lake Rotorua where there are some gardens and a waterfront area with cafes, bars and various eateries. We also wanted to see how busy it was at the weekend because one thing we have pondered about is how quiet it seems. By 10pm most places are half empty and the others are either closed or in the process of closing for the night!
It was slightly busier but still not heaving like it would be if it were the UK. There was a small outdoor temporary market and a car enthusiasts meeting but even these didn't attract that many people. What was nice was that there were quite a few families having picnics near tdhe childrens play area. We booked a ride on a large paddle boat to take a trip around the lake and again were amazed at how quiet it was,. We couldn't help but to compare it with Windemere when we had our ski boat and had to fight for a place on the slipway. In the hour we wre on the water we only saw one other boat, a small motor boat. So it seems that the only crowds on Lake Rotorua are the hundreds of ducks that gather there and a few black swans.
It was slightly busier but still not heaving like it would be if it were the UK. There was a small outdoor temporary market and a car enthusiasts meeting but even these didn't attract that many people. What was nice was that there were quite a few families having picnics near tdhe childrens play area. We booked a ride on a large paddle boat to take a trip around the lake and again were amazed at how quiet it was,. We couldn't help but to compare it with Windemere when we had our ski boat and had to fight for a place on the slipway. In the hour we wre on the water we only saw one other boat, a small motor boat. So it seems that the only crowds on Lake Rotorua are the hundreds of ducks that gather there and a few black swans.
Time to head for Lake Taupo.
As we got nearer to our destination I happened to see a sign for the Aratiatia Dam and rapids and as this was on our itinerary we decided to stop on our way in rather than backtrack the following day. The dam gates are opened at set times each day and the flow of water creates its own waterfall of around 28m. You can go on a jet boat to the bottom of this waterfall, what I didn't really realise was that the jet boat was a thrill ride across the rapids and included several 360 degree turns. Again it was so quiet and Steve, me and a guy with his son were obviously going to be the last customers of the day I'm sure we had a longer and speedier ride with more 360's than usual consequentially getting wetter than usual. We were lucky in that because of the time the dam gates had just been relesed and so the rapids and waterfall were in full flow, pretty impressive especially viewed from the water. Unfortunately we weren't allowed to take the camera on board.
As we got nearer to our destination I happened to see a sign for the Aratiatia Dam and rapids and as this was on our itinerary we decided to stop on our way in rather than backtrack the following day. The dam gates are opened at set times each day and the flow of water creates its own waterfall of around 28m. You can go on a jet boat to the bottom of this waterfall, what I didn't really realise was that the jet boat was a thrill ride across the rapids and included several 360 degree turns. Again it was so quiet and Steve, me and a guy with his son were obviously going to be the last customers of the day I'm sure we had a longer and speedier ride with more 360's than usual consequentially getting wetter than usual. We were lucky in that because of the time the dam gates had just been relesed and so the rapids and waterfall were in full flow, pretty impressive especially viewed from the water. Unfortunately we weren't allowed to take the camera on board.
Glad the black swans are still there.
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