Rotorua

I arrived in Rotorua in the afternoon and went straight to St Faith's church down by the lakeside! My interest was in seeing an etched glass window, designed by my cousin Margaret in Auckland's sister-in-law! Margaret had told me about it last time - 9 years ago - but I had missed it, so this time I had to see it - and it was worth the visit! It's quite stunning!

Christ walking on the lake

If you notice, in the photo of the church, and in the one below, the graves are above ground - due to the thinness of the earth's crust at this point.







The window you can see through the green gateway is the one with the etching. To the right of the photo in the background is the Tamatekapua Maori meeting house, and behind where I am standing is another graveyard.

Now I don't know the actual significance of this Maori character, not far from the church, but I know what it looks like to me!

I didn't really explore the town centre much, but took these pics of a modern "sculpture" that I rather liked last time I was there!

These are flax leaves, the small white strips being the parts where the green fleshy part of the leaf has been scraped away to reveal the fibres. When the leaves dry the sides curl round to form sort of tubular structures, and these are what the Maori skirts are made of.

This is the museum, that used to be a spa resort in the early 1900s, where different treatments, including running electrical currents through the baths, were meted out! You can still see some of the old treatment rooms, but the museum also houses varying exhibitions. The reception hall has two stunning wooden staircases winding up and round to the gallery floor.

From the museum cafe and the outside terrace you can look across to the Blue Baths, where I went swimming in the evening. That was a beautiful experience! In the open air, in the dark, in warm thermal water that had a slight mist on the surface!

Well, I think all for now. More next time, of the Maori settlement of Whakarewarewa at Te Puia.

Talk again soon.