Jared Lee - Photo Album - Rotorua

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I spent one night in Rotorua, a popular tourist destination in the North Island that some give the nickname "Roto-Vegas" ... I also got my jade necklace there!
December 16-17, 2004

01-LakeRotorua Lake Rotorua, in the thermal resort city of Rotorua ... after staying in Taupo till early afternoon on Thursday, December 16, 2004, I made the one-hour drive up to Rotorua, my shortest drive my entire time in NZ in between hostels, and a very welcome relaxing day after my seven-hour drive from Wellington to Taupo the day before

02-BlackSwan Black swan

03-LakeRotorua Lake Rotorua

04-LakeRotorua Lake Rotorua

05-RotoruaMaoriMcDonalds The Rotorua McDonald's was the coolest McD's I've ever been in, all the walls were covered in Maori wood carvings like these

06-CactusJacks Cactus Jack's, my hostel in Rotorua

07-CactusJacksLounge The lounge at Cactus Jack's ... I sense an American Southwest theme

08-CactusJacks The open-air courtyard leading to the rooms ... Cactus Jack's was one of the coolest hostels I stayed in, both in Australia and New Zealand

09-CactusJacks There was a maze of meandering pathways outdoors that led to all the rooms

10-OhinemutuMaoriShrine On Friday, December 17, 2004, I started my drive to Auckland, stopping for a bit in a small neighbouring town of Rotorua, called Ohinemutu ... this is a Maori shrine in Ohinemutu

11-Ohinemutu Ohinemutu

12-OhinemutuMarae The Ohinemutu Marae

13-StFaithsAnglicanChurch St Faith's Anglican Church in Ohinemutu, a truly Maori church, with ornate Maori woodcarvings, tapestries and geometric designs inside ... it also happens to be the oldest church in New Zealand ... cameras were not allowed inside, however :-(

14-StFaithsCemetery St Faith's Cemetery

15-StFaiths St Faith's Anglican Church ... in the window on the left side of the church, you can kind of make out an etched figure of Jesus (wearing a Maori-style cloak, no less) in the window ... from inside the church, if you kneel at the prayer rail that's facing that window, it looks like Jesus is walking on the waters of Lake Rotorua