We all have these photos … throwback photos!
It’s described as ‘nostalgia-inducing pictures … from a different era of your life”.
Every Thursday we will throw a photo of ‘way back when’ on our blog. Why on a Thursday? Because it’s just a day away from the weekend … and we love weekends!
You are welcome to join in or just enjoy the photos (#TB Thursday).
New Zealand – 2019
Last week we featured our visit to the Coromandel Peninsula with a sighting of the beautiful Cathedral Cove. In this week’s throwback post, we are staying in New Zealand.
In June 2019 our friends took us to the tourist town of Rotorua (230km from Auckland). It’s here where you will find a lot of geothermal activity and bubbling hot mud pools.
Natural Thermal Pools
Our first visit was to some of the natural thermal pools. It was already the beginning of winter in New Zealand and it was quite surprising to see so many people in their swimming costumes … but of course they were sitting in thermal pools!
Wai-O-Tapu Thermal Wonderland
The next day we drove to the Wai-O-Tapu Thermal Wonderland. Here you can expect to see the well-known Lady Knox geyser. It is induced daily at around 10:00 to erupt by dropping some “powder” into the opening of the vent.
We also took a self-guided walk to the ever-active mud pools. There is a wide range of amazing thermal areas to see and we enjoyed this new experience.
Wai-O-Tapu Wonderland’s active mud pools
It was a steamy affair at Wai-O-Tapu
A lime-green lake at the end of our walk
We had quite an adventurous ride on the Rotorua Luge. But to read all about that, you can click here.
The beautiful town of Rotorua (with the luge track in the foreground)
Wet and Dusty Roads 
Is daar al verligting en beterskap? Ek bid vir goeie uitkoms. 💝🙏
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Hy is nog in die hospitaal, maar daar is beslis beterskap. Die dokter is nog onseker van die oorsaak (sy linker long was gevul met vloeistof en meeste vog is nou deur ‘n dreineringspyp uitgelaat). Dankie Maat vir jou gebede, ons bid ook vir ‘n goeie uitkoms 💌
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Mens sou geld kon wed dat sulke buitengewone natuurverskynsels in New Zealand sal wees, ne! Dis amper n ander wereld!
Hoop Berto maak goeie vordering?
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Jy’s reg Dries, New Zealand is beslis uniek. Tog is daar dele van die land wat baie herinner aan die Tuinroete – soms het dit gevoel ons is binne-in die Knysna bos!
Ja dankie, Berto maak vordering (al is dit met klein treetjies) … ek het gister vir hom gese sy herstelproses is nou soos die Camino: Een tree op ‘n slag (en hopenlik vorentoe)!
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Ons hou hom ins ons gedagtes en gebede vir spoedige en volkome beterskap!
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Baie dankie, ons waardeer dit 🌻.
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Lovely photos bringing back fond memories of our own visit to NZ North Island quite awhile back.
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It’s always great to look at someone else’s photos and then remember your own time at that place isn’t it? This was such a unique experience … something we have not seen before!
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Julle waag dit toe nie om die warm baadjies uit te trek en warm te raak in die poele nie!? 😁
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Ons het amper in daardie natuurlike poele gespring … maar dit was darem net te koud (en ons dalk nie braaf genoeg nie). Die stomende poele is natuurlik nie ‘n opsie nie, daar sal jou boude brand 😉.
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Great memories! I went to NZ right after graduating university so it’s been a long time, but your brought back some good memories for me too.😊 Maggie
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Oh, I’m glad to hear that! I don’t know how much has changed since you were there, especially at the natural thermal pools (they’re probably at the same place already for many years). We have never saw something like this before and were really fascinated by all this steam coming from the ground!
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Ek was ook daar, maar in 2007.
Sien dat Berto siek is! So jammer om dit te hoor, maar is bly om te sien dat dit al beter met hom gaan! Baie sterkte vir julle ❤ Drukkie van my af!
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Sjoe, 2007 is ook ‘n lang tyd terug ne?
Ja, Berto is nou al ‘n week in die hospitaal. Dit was maar ‘n op- en af storie, dan gaan dit beter, dan weer slegter. Ons weet nog nie regtig wat die vog in sy linker long veroorsaak het nie, maar as alles wel gaan, behoort die dreineringspyp more (hopenlik) uit te kom … en kan hy dan ook huis toe kom. Ek voel soms of ek op “auto pilot” is, maar is so dankbaar my ma is hier – sy vat raak terwyl ek heen en weer tussen die huis en hospitaal pendel 🙂. Dankie Aletta, ek waardeer jou omgee.
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Bly jou ma is nog daar by jou. Hoop hy sal sommer gou gou huis toe kan gaan.
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Ja, dit is ‘n seen dat my ma hier is. Ek het nou-net met Berto gepraat en die pyp kom vanoggend uit, dan kan ek hom gaan haal 🙂. Dit gaan waarskynlik ‘n lang herstel proses wees, maar ons is dankbaar dat die Here Sy hand die hele tyd oor Berto gehou het.
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Dis wonderlik Corna. 😊 Sterkte daar vir julle🙏🏻
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Dankie Aletta 🌸 … is lekker om hom weer by die huis te he!
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Kan dink🤗
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New Zealand provides awesome landscapes and vistas. The geysers and thermal pools make it look like Yellowstone.
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Absolutely John, the scenery in New Zealand is amazing! I have read about Yellowstone and it seems quite similar to what we experienced in NZ.
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Not been yet…so many posts, like this one, tell me we should go
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And you have the time to explore both the North- and South Islands!
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And I have a nephew out there too…
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Well … there you go! Accommodation’s been sorted 😄.
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Die kommentaar hier het nou gehelp om my gerus te stel dat dit beter gaan met Berto. Ook bly om te hoor jou ma is daar – sulke tye het mens liefdevolle ondersteuning baie nodig.
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Baie dankie Tannie Frannie. Toe Berto voorgestel het my ma vlieg saam met ons terug na ons vakansie in Langebaan, het ons min geweet hoeveel waarde haar besoek vir ons sal wees. Dit was maar ‘n wip-waentjie rit die afgelope twee weke, maar ons is dankbaar waar ons tans is … die dreineringspyp word vanoggend uitgehaal, dan kan ek hom gaan haal 🙏🏻.
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It looks like you’re on a whole different planet with all those geysers, bubbling mud pots and colourful thermal pools. I don’t imagine it would smell very nice though.
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That’s so true Linda! I said to Berto many times during our stay in New Zealand that this feels like a “new world” to me. And yes, the smell of rotten eggs was a constant reminder we’re sitting within the Pacific Rim and in a geothermal wonderland 😉.
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Beautiful location and memories! It looks very similar to Yellowstone NP in the US, which is a fun place to visit.
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It seems, should we want the same experience but want to explore a new destination, we’ll have to go to Yellowstone next time 😉.
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It’s a pretty cool place to see!
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This was very cool Corna. For some reason geysers and thermal pools stand as a kind of hole in my travel resume. Will have to attend to that one of these years. Lady Knox looks like a sight to behold and I love the steamy affair photo too. I think my kitchen has looked a bit like that once or twice after a disastrous spell of cooking.
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For us it was quite an experience! South Africa is getting hot, but not as hot and steamy as in Rotorua 😄. Oh, I can also remember an ‘event’ in our kitchen (steam vs smoke) … and I was the guilty one cooking! Thanks for stopping by Leighton, have a great weekend!
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Wow! Thermal ponds and geysers are the coolest!
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They are … or one can also say “they’re the hottest” 😄.
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Hahaha! Okay, you got me
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I’ve never been to New Zealand but would love to visit one day 🙂
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I think you would really enjoy a visit to New Zealand Hannah. We met a few people from the UK who immigrated to NZ and they loved it (although, like us, they were also surprised at how expensive it was) … but I suppose if you save, you can embark on a wonderful tour to see all the beautiful places!
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It looks absolutely stunning and so magical too, the pools are beautiful Corna. I’m sorry that Berto’s not well, sending you a big comforting hug 🤗 and wishing him better health.
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Rotorua is a very unique place – I was particularly fascinated by the colour of the water! Thank you very much for your well wishes for Berto. There is still a long way to go, but we hope that he will make a full recovery in time 🌸.
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This photo caught my attention. Thanks Anita
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Rotorua is quite the tourist destination in New Zealand and we had a great time there!
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We would love to visit there sometime again Anita
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Wonderful collection.
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Thank you 😀. This was certainly a great day out in nature!
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What an exciting trip that was. You two are the cutest couple! I was just telling my husband over the weekend I want to see a geyser soon. His last day to work is March 3rd then he’s retired and we want to go on some trips.
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This was a really great trip … and we only saw the “tip of the iceberg”! Oh, thanks Diane (I’ll take the ‘cute’ compliment any day 😄). Great, you have so much to look forward to when your husband retires – I can’t wait to see the places you’ll be visiting … with hopefully some great food in between too!
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