Ronnie, a member of the Tarawera Ward, invited our group of missionaries to see the Pohutu geyser from a different angle than we saw in Te Puia, and a performance of Maori dances in the main hall.
One of the memorials along vault-lined Tukiterangi Street
A few days earlier, on Saturday, we made the trek to the Saturday market to find oranges from Gisborne, which we did. They aren't quite as sweet as those from earlier in the season, but still good.
It was drizzly rain on our way to the Village. Fortunately Elder Joyce and Elder Rippon had been to Ronnie's several times before, or we would have been completely lost.
The Village houses 70 Maori people, Ronnie told us, but has never recovered its status as a tourist attraction since the pandemic. Te Puia is more grand and well funded and well-attended. There are several gift shops here, but only one is open.
New Zealand flax, phormium tenax or Harakeke, growing near Ronnie's house. It is a tough-fibered relative of aloe vera and of the daylily, hemerocallis, with leaves up to 10 ft. long. It is called flax because its use rivals that of linum, the flax of the northern hemisphere. The length of the leaves makes it possible to create clothing, fishing lines, nets, baskets and cloaks. It grows everywhere in and around Rotorua.
Elder Rippon and Elder Joyce making Ronnie smile
The little Catholic church of the village. It is here where I first saw the vaults of the cemetery. Ronnie was agreeable to us photographing headstones, as long as we were respectful and discreet.
The main hall where the Maori dancers performed
More vaults and their guardians
Elder Joyce with his guardian friend
"The Blueys" is the geothermal pool beside the Pohutu geyser. It is accessible from Whakarewarewa Village, and villagers can bathe there.
The Blueys and Pohutu geyser under cloudy skies. Whakarewarewa and Te Puia were once a large combined reserve, but are now separate entities.
Many of the vaults had no headstones and were mossy and crumbling. I had to scramble to find some of the headstones, and Elder Rippon gallantly took some pictures for me
This is the last Monday before transfers on Tuesday, and several of our missionaries will be assigned to other areas. Sis. Cleverley is having a hard time saying goodbye.
Our group of elders and sisters
Love song performed in the Whakarewarewa main hall
Here the women are doing the poi dance, using the round balls originally made of Harakeke flax wrapped around bulrush. The long-stringed poi were used in battle by the men. The dances help with flexibility of the wrists. These women did dances with both short-string and long-string poi.
This is Chris, known by the elders and sisters as their beloved Sis. K. She is a good friend of Ronnie's. After finding out we were here, she came to join us and say goodbye. Sis. Nonu is finding it hard.
We stopped at the little gift shop. In the corner this lady was scraping New Zealand flax with a sharp mussel shell.
Ronnie promised to show us the steam baths and cooking area for the village. On the way we passed Tuhoromatakaka Hall, which is in disrepair and not being used.
One of the houses in the geothermal area. Harakeke grows here, and a few hardy shrubs.
The main cooking pool, at boiling point, surrounded by a fence
The pool is named Pare Kohuru, which means preventing murder. We wonder what may have happened here.
Sweet corn boiled in a string bag. The corn was originally boiled in bags woven of Harakeke.
Steam cooker, if you are so inclined
The little hut where the man was preparing sweet corn to cook
There was a raised bed garden with cold-season vegetables. It will soon be springtime.
Ronnie demonstrating the filling of baths, with a sluice from the geothermal pool using a wet rag (hanging out of her hand) to stopper and unstopper the sluice.
The sluice running into the filling pool. Ronnie says you are supposed to bathe in the nude, which is why she takes showers at home.
The community dressing room, with no door on it. Another reason why Ronnie showers at home.
We had an impromptu dinner at Chris's house for Sis. Lui's last night in Rotorua. Sis. Pancheri will be getting a new companion. We brought fish and chips from Wendy's Fish Shop, which Chris declared superior and abundant at a good price.
After dinner, we made cream puffs at Sis. Lui's request for the recipe. Sis. K. graciously allowed us to take over her kitchen. We each ended up with a plate of cream puffs to take home.
On Thursday, after feeding 11 for dinner, including the new transfers, two new elders, and a friend, (fortunately I had enough food and there were enough forks and chairs,) Elder Rooks and I met with Margie and Eddie, who is undergoing cancer treatment. They have been instrumental in providing the Fairy Springs ward with activities that bring people together. They wanted to show us the lakeside park where groups can have barbecues and enjoy the play equipment and beautiful view of the lake.
You can see Mokoia Island in the middle of Rotorua Lake. It is a lava dome that formed when the Rotorua caldera collapsed. It is uninhabited.
We finally called the sexton of the Rotorua Crematorium and Cemetery, with over 12,000 headstones and memorials, to photograph for Billiongraves. The sexton not only gave us permission to photograph this cemetery, but also the large cemetery in Kauae, with over 5,000 memorial sites.
My little six pack of tomatoes is growing fast. We will have to transplant them soon, again. It will be a few weeks before we can put them outside at night
Also the herbs. I bought a rosemary and marjoram plant at the Saturday market and they are doing well alongside the basil and thyme.
Mr. Newcomer Purple Swamp Rooster tends to go at top speed, rushing everywhere. He comes out early even when it is cold. Mr. Pukeko is older, bigger, and only comes out when it is warm. He had better watch out.
