Rotorua AKA Little America

Rotorua is New Zealand's most visited town, and it's known for its beautiful hikes, tons of thermal activity (think bubbling, steaming mud pools and geysers), and the 'unique perfume' that fills the air (think tons of Sulfur). When we drove into Rotorua, it was clear that the most-visited town in New Zealand clearly catered for a very American demographic. There's a state-of-the-art McDonald's right next to a Ford dealership showcasing its trucks, two KFC's within walking distance, New Zealand's version of Costco, two other large grocery stores a block apart from one another, and restaurants with signs like "BUFFET" or "Cold Beer and Sizzling Steaks All Night!" In addition to these details that remind us of home, Rotorua is chock full of touristy things. After a good night's rest, we decided to start the morning off with a tasty breakfast at the Lime Cafeteria (a Lonely Planet recommendation which offers delicious Gluten Free options). Then we hiked around a thermal activity park, which show cased samples of things you can see all over Rotorua: boiling mud pools, mineral pools, and geysers. Afterwards, we decided to do our first tramp (AKA hike...a famous activity in New Zealand) in a redwood forest which offers beautiful views of the town. The 3 hour tramp was a fair amount of exercise not to mention absolutely beautiful! We were worn out afterward and decided to catch up on laundry, reading, and grocery shopping. Now we're watching Lord of the Rings in our hostel's lounge to really reiterate the Kiwi spirit. We're off to hike some more tomorrow morning!

p.s. Thanks for reading and thanks for commenting! We love to read comments :-)