Classic cars in Hamilton NZ, Aug 2023

I learned that there are a lot of New Zealanders into classic cars.  We stopped at the Classics Museum in Hamilton with no idea of what to expect.  We were blown away by the content, curation and cleanliness.  So many unique cars and car adjacent items! 

Also some non-adjacent items like this corner of vintage toys

Also this shelf of cordless/mobile phones

Also this wall of original pinball games

Bicycle tire repair kits!  Each collection presented no repeats, kept all the items visible and organized, and led naturally to the next type of item.  

All of the vehicles have extensive documentation and interesting stories.

Oil can collection

Of all the hood ornaments I thought the gargoyle was the best.

Mobil oil signs come in many shapes and sizes

Some of those cars!

Adorable!

Love that they include stylish mannequins when possible.  The background gives you an idea of the density of items in the museum.

Just amazing!

Rotorua, August 2023

To get to Rotorua we passed through Waikato, famous for whimsical corrugated steel art.

Rotorua is a vacation wonderland and so many fun things have popped up.  The best is the Zorb!  You get in these big hamster balls and get pushed down a hill.  So much fun!!!

There is a big complex for vacation activities and we chose the luge.

Way more fun than I expected.  It is a really long ride and you can go as fast or slow as you want.

Amazing view from the top of the mountain, looking over the lake.

The weather changes fast and we saw both bright skies and rain.

We also took the lovely (free) walking trail that taught about all the different plants.

The thermal pools are everywhere.

On the way back to Auckland we pass through Hamilton.  Outside the art museum in Hamilton is this, the Dog's Tongue!

And this statue to Riff Raff, who is from Hamilton!!

Rotorua's best geyser, Aug 2023

 

Finally I have seen all the regular geothermal geysers in the world!  (Yellowstone, Calistoga CA, and Rotorua New Zealand)

The whole of Rotorua has volcanic activity but only the geyser inside Te Puia goes off regularly.  

Amazing!!

Even when the geyser is not actually erupting, there is a lot of steam over the whole area.

You can only visit via a tour.  In addition to the geyser you see the kiwi conservation center.  They are nocturnal so you won't see them in the wild.  

The third part is the Maori arts and crafts center.

It is a school where Master carvers teach apprentices and you can talk to them while they work.

The other craft is weaving.

In the gift shop you can of course purchase items.

Truly gorgeous work.