Bathing is a laughing matter, seriously speaking
If you walked along the lakefront of Lake Rotorua, apart from the gazillion gnat like flies hovering around the lake, the sulphuric Eau de parfam will greet you; and possibly blow your delicate senses out.
Ducks, swans, boats, peddle boats, rippling waves can be found within minutes from Rotorua’s bustling city scene. But walk a little further around the lake towards the Polynesian Pools and the scenery changes dramatically.
by Cate
Toxic wasteland comes to mind, polluted perhaps but not in the way you think it is.
by Cate
Around this part of Lake Rotorua known as Sulphur Point, the water’s milkiness is rich in minerals as pools steam and mud bubbles, this part of the lake is active.
It also use to be a popular bathing spot for early European visitors.
by Cate
Despite it’s unattractive layout, this place known as Cameron’s Pool was a popular therapeutic pool, favoured for its strong mineral content and soothing heat-treatment.
This pool also had natural charisma — it made people laugh.
by Cate
Hydrogen sulphide and carbon dioxide gas emmisions gave bathers the giggles, free of charge, no prescriptions required and more importantly, above-board.
Cameron’s Pool was the first of the commercial bathing spots around the Rotorua area and quite possibly the most entertaining as well.
Unfortunately it is no longer in use, but you can easily walk to this place from downtown Rotorua. Follow the signs along from where the boats leave or start from behind the Polynesian Pools. Best time to go …. anytime.
Caffeinated Traveller
Comments are closed.
This reminds me of the Oracles of Delphi … these famous women (I think women) would descend into a trench which had volcanic gases in it … voila, they would experience visions!
Wonder if those trenches would overly warm, and did they faint during their visions?
I have no idea but don’t you imagine that fainting would have occurred on occasion?
Hi,
This is a wonderful blog! It was a very good read.
I was wondering if you would be interested in guest blogging on my blog. It is a collection of my travels and the travels of my guests. If you scan the site you can see that now almost 100% of the posts are from guests. Lately I’ve been finding many people interested in guest posting.
Included in your post will be a link to your website using whatever anchor text or key words you wish and a description of your site (if you choose to include one.)
My blog (onetravel.wordpress.com) receives about 2000 visitors a day and that number is steadily growing.
So if you are interested in being a guest, please let me know.
Send me an Email:
gchristodoulou(-at-)OneTravel(-dot-)com
Warm Regards,
George Christodoulou
Travel Blogger | OneTravel
gchristodoulou(-at-)OneTravel(-dot-)com
No longer in use? I could do with the laugh!
Great piece as always, Cate.
I think the problem had to do with permits and money – like many spas at this time. Wouldn’t it be a neat thing to set up nowadays with all our self-induced stress.
Thanks for the lovely comment!!
How funny! It would be much more relaxing to get a dental cleaning sitting in a pool with laughing gas rather than a chair under a fluorescent light!
I’m surprised no one has thought of this as a novel way to see a dentist
Rotorua was our second to last stop before heading back home via Auckland. Reading about it again brings back the nostalgic sulfer that scented our excursions! Your blog is looking fabulous and high quality, per usual! Hope you are well. –Lorraine
Thank you Lorraine!!
I don’t think anyone who has visited Rotorua’s will forget the place, if not the geothermal landscape then the smell will linger in people’s memories for sometime.