New Zealand, 9-12-2017--Lake Whakamaru to Paeroa

Our first stop the next day was in Rotorua, another resort town noted for its thermal activity.  

We'd seen some curious looking playground equipment at various parks and finally decided to investigate at a park in Rotorua.  They're all designed to encourage kids, even 62 year old ones, to be active.  David discovered that this one rotates surprisingly fast and the rider needs to hang on tightly.   

This rope climbing apparatus was also irresistible.  

The Old Post Office.

This, like some of the other grand old buildings in Rotorua, was built in the early 1900's and is closed while it undergoes strengthening to make it more earthquake resistant.

Originally built as the Rotorua Bath House, this impressive structure in Government Gardens was converted to a museum in 1969.  

Unfortunately it was closed while a study is being done to see if it can be made earthquake resistant.

The grounds at Government Gardens are immaculately kept.  

Teams of workers at Government Gardens remove dead leaves and petals.

Lawn bowling is popular at Government Gardens.  This welcoming sign is typical of what we so often found throughout NZ.

These ladies taught us the basics of lawn bowling...

...which is similar to bocce except that the ball is heavier, shaped like a somewhat flattened sphere and weighted on one side.

Cricket is another popular game here.  A maintenance worker was mowing this cricket field to a precise height. 

Pearl sits in front of the cricket clubhouse.  

Within Rotorua is a small Maori village, in which the St. Faith's Anglican Church is located. 

St. Faiths is famous for its etched glass window depicting Jesus walking on the water of Lake Rotorua.

A small portion of the intricate carving that decorates the sanctuary of St. Faiths.  

At the entrance to St. Faiths, the forces of nature intrude.  Since the construction of the church, thermal vents have surfaced, threatening the church building.  

More intricate carvings adorn the front of the Te Papaiouru Community Center.   

Steam rises off Lake Rotorua beside the Maori village.  St. Faiths Anglican Church in the background. 

Continuing north from Rotorua, we drove to Tauranga on the east coast of the North Island.  Expecting a small port town, we quickly discovered it was a bustling city and a major container shipping port.  Needless to say, we left it as quickly as we'd arrived.

Logging is a major industry on both the North and South Islands.  

The quiet village of Whangamata on the Coromadel Penninsula was much more to our liking.  

Boats line the inlet at Whangamata.  

From here to the end of the North Island some 400 miles north lies the heart of New Zealand's sailing area.  The coast here is indented by innumerable bays and inlets.  Given that we'd just come from a sailing voyage, this was a part of the North Island we were most interested in seeing.