One afternoon after Zorbing we decided to visit Te Puia to see the mud pools and Geysers but we also got a good mix of Maori tradition too. Dylan wasn't fussed by it all (he went mountain bike riding with Jack and Dom) so Milla joined the Quirke tribe for the arvo. We joined a guided tour and the young fella was very informative and Jodie thought easy on the eyes too. At the start they held a traditional welcoming ceremony, volunteers for Chief were called for and Lyndon couldn't help himself. Front and centre and after the usual double take when you tell them you're from Tonga it was all on with the added bonus of front row seats.
Our daughters hanging outside some traditional carvings.
Now that's some scary customers!
The big chief from Tonga.
Lyndon accepting the gift on behalf of the crowd from the warrior.
Nothing like a little nose pressing to kick things off.
The performers conducted a mixture of dances and explained each one before beginning.
All the traditional clothing not too warm we were all guessing. Even one of the guys tried to swap his skirt for Lyndon's (borrowed) All Blacks jacket.
Looking across the valley you could see the steam from the different geysers.
These smaller geysers go off about every 30 min so it's not a long wait.
Looking across the mud pools. The smell is just fantastic, (NOT) you just need to enjoy it for yourself to appreciate it.
Emmy our little photographer snapped this lovely couples shot.
The arty shot looking back into the setting sun.
A tad hot at 60 plus degrees for a mud bath.
Our guided tour ended up with a quick demo at the handicraft centre and wood carving centre.
No cultural centre is complete without a Kiwi enclosure but with no photos allowed inside it was shots of their cousins "Rigger and Mortus". The kids were really surprised by the large size of the Kiwi's.
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