Rotorua and Paradise Valley Springs

As of September 1st, Spring has sprung in New Zealand.  This past Sunday (9/2) was Father's Day, so Happy Father's Day to all the dads out there!

After Andy and I visited Hobbiton, we traveled just south of Matamata to Rotorua (commonly known as "Roto-vegas"), a major tourist town known for its geothermal activity and Maori culture.  It is also the home of the Zorb.

Our campsite by Lake Rotorua

We decided to venture just outside of Rotorua to Paradise Valley Springs, partly for cost efficiency and mostly because it was the only place in the country where you could pet baby lion cubs!

 They also had a number of grown lions and a variety of other animals that you could pet and feed:

ducklings!

wallabies

Rotorua was a fun city, but since high tourism generally means "expensive activities," we only spent a day in the area before hitting the road again.  Our course was now due east towards one of the least touristy and most overlooked areas on the island: East Cape.

More to come!