Rotorua is known for its rich Māori culture and otherworldly geothermal landscapes. Today, our focus was on the latter. We spent several hours hiking through the Waimangu Volcanic Valley where we were treated to some very beautiful sights. When we arrived at the Waiotapu Thermal Wonderland we had just missed the entry time cut-off of 3 PM so I had to settle for a high altitude drone image so as not to disturb anyone in the park.

Prior to our geothermal adventures, we visited the National Kiwi Hatchery, where we got to see an 11-day-old baby kiwi and three juveniles. Regrettably, photography of birds within the facility is strictly prohibited, so I had to settle for the image below. It is estimated that a total of 25,000 birds remain in the wild and the hatchery has contributed 10% of that number to the total since its inception moving the national icon off the critically endangered list.

Here is what a real baby Kiwi looks like (from the Smithsonian website).

Rotorua is also known for its amazingly dark skies. For the second night in a row, we enjoyed a spectacular view of the Milky Way galaxy. It is a shame that this has become such a rare opportunity for most people.