Rotorua Surgery Associates??

Friday night we enjoyed a barbecue at the home David Griffith - one of Tom's surgery colleagues. All 6 Consultants and their spouses attended, so this gave me a chance to attach faces to the names of those I'd not yet met. Tom is highly complimentary of his fellow surgeons - it's quite an international bunch:

David Griffith & Liese - both Kiwis
Bertrand Jauffret & Katrina - from France
Warren Watson (Australia) & Ketriona (Kiwi)
Etienne Truter (South Africa) & Elsie (Holland)
David Vernon (Kiwi) & Paula (United Kingdom)
Tom Thilo (Sioux City) & Sue (Muscatine)

Journey to the Center of the Volcano: Chapter 3

A raft shuttled us over to the island, landing us by the ruins of an old sulphur mining factory. The island's ill-fated sulphur industry never met with much success. In 1914 the western rim of the volcano's crater collapsed, unleashing a volcanic landslide, killing 10 miners. Mining resumed some years later but was a commercial failure and operations ceased in 1933.



Since 1967 scientists have closely monitored activity on the island, which regularly releases plumes of ash and steam into the air, visible from the mainland. The last eruption occurred in 2000.




The landscape is not unlike walking on the moon. We were guided along a winding track between giant mounds of ash and rock. We were cautioned to avoid smaller "pressure mounds" because scalding water or mud exists beneath their brittle crusts.


Fumaroles hiss and roar in all directions.






We walked along an amazingly colorful but highly acidic stream which did wonders for an old coin.


The closer we got to the volcano's crater lake, the more toxic the fumes!


Can't help it - I just love mudpots.




After about 90 minutes, it was time to traverse the crater and catch our raft to the crusier.



Happily, the dolphins were on hand to escort us back to Whakatane.


I'm fairly certain White Island will rank among my Top Five New Zealand Adventures.

Journey to the Center of the Volcano: Chapter 2

Part of the fun of our volcano adventure was simply the trip across the water to White Island. As we left the harbour, we were greeted by a bronze statue of Wairaka - a spirited Maori maiden who heroically saved a waku (canoe) filled with women during the 12th Century Great Migration.



Once past Wairaka, we cruised the open sea with 30 other adventure-seekers. The 50-kilometer ride took about 90 minutes, allowing us front row seats to see playful dolphins and flying fish (they really do fly).











The captain anchored offshore so that we could be issued our safety gear before taking a raft over to the island.



What a relief to know that we had hard hats and gas masks - just in case this active volcano should happen to blow...

Journey to the Center of the Volcano: Chapter 1

Our day-long trip to White Island was so extraordinary that it will take me 3 posts to do the experience justice. White Island is the site of New Zealand's most active volcano and is located 49 kilometers (30 miles) north of Whakatane in the Bay of Plenty. Whakatane (pronounced Fahkatawny) is a charming and scenic community about 90 minutes from Rotorua. While waiting for our departure to the island, we spent some time driving and walking around this seaside city. We happened across a beautiful flowered hillside in the heart of town with a long stairway to the top. Panels of glazed tiles are mounted on every stair featuring flora and fauna from the bottom of the sea all the way up to the sky - the world's first vertigraph!

Soakin' It Up

With all the geothermal activity in our area, going for a "soak" in a thermal pool is a popular pastime. There are countless spas in and around Rotorua, but the locals recommend driving just a bit out of town to the Waikite Valley Thermal Pools. Since we are trying to totally immerse ourselves into the New Zealand culture, we thought it important to do as the locals do - and immerse ourselves into the Waikite pools. The complex offers an interesting eco-trail that explains how the pools are filled daily with fresh geothermal water from the Te Manaroa Spring, the largest single source of 100% pure boiling in New Zealand. There are 10 pools from which to choose and they are kept at a variety of temperatures. We found it necessary to check out all of them.

Stop the Presses! Especially the Coeur d'Alene Press...

Besides its magnificent lake and proximity to Huka Falls, Taupo boasts something else...a floating green that REALLY racks in the green. "Hole in One Challenge" is the #1 revenue-producing tourist attraction in Taupo and has been owned and operated by Tiffany and Peter Battell for 15 years. Tiger-Wannabes can win upwards to $10,000 (NZ) for making a hole in one onto the floating green.

As an aside, The Coeur d'Alene Resort Golf Course - the "Home of the world's ONLY Floating Green"? I don't think so:
http://www.cdaresort.com/golf

Huka Falls

Tom spends a day a week at the hospital in Taupo - a scenic community about an hour's drive from Rotorua. I tagged along last week to explore a bit of this popular recreational area that is built around Lake Taupo - New Zealand's largest. Just minutes from town, we found Huka Falls - the most visited natural attraction in New Zealand. Huka is the Maori word for "foam" which is appropriate as the falling water and rapids certainly resemble foam!

Walkin' in a Geothermal Wonderland

Wai-O-Tapu (Sacred Waters) is one of several stunning geothermal activity areas in and around Rotorua. We are impressed with how beautifully this particular space has been developed for viewing and learning - not your typical walk in the park.

She Gets High with a Little Help from Her Friends

With a little help from her friends, Lady Knox Geyser in Waiotapu erupts every day at 10:15 am. Prior to the eruption, a guide delivers a delightful presentation highlighting the discovery of the geyser over 100 years ago. Apparently, the first "open prison" in New Zealand was established here in 1901 to accommodate some of the better behaved prisoners from area jails. A gang of these prisoners discovered the clearing in which the geyser is situated. By adding soap, they could make the spring erupt making it possible to wash their clothes in hot water!

NZ's Health Care System: Part 3

Dinner topics at home usually include a robust debriefing by Tom on the topic of working in a socialized healthcare system. While Tom is quick to compliment his well-trained, highly skilled colleagues, his frustrations with the "system" persist. Examples? During his first 5 weeks on the job, only once has an 8:30 am surgery started on time. Reasons for the delays vary, but twice the assigned anesthetists simply failed to show up without giving any notice (both had decided to get a jump start on their holidays). Interestingly, when cases DO start on time, it's not uncommon for medical personnel to drag the time between and during cases so that they will not have to do the "acute list" (add-on cases). On another occasion a surgery was held up during a critical time because the circulating nurse (the one who gives supplies to the scrub team) went to tea! Patients wait in the emergency room for hours and hours, lining the hallways and filling the holding rooms. Often they are administered to by their families while awaiting medical evaluation. I think Tom gets frustrated because he is not used to practicing medicine in a 9 to 5 environment, and he really isn't much of a tea drinker.

Crux of the Matter

Last night we saw something we've never seen before - Crux! Our move to the Southern hemisphere forced us to exchange the Big Dipper for Crux - more commonly known as the Southern Cross. Crux is the smallest of the 88 modern constellations but is one of the most distinctive. This beautiful constellation in the shape of a cross guided sailing explorers of the Southern hemisphere and is easily visible practically any time of the year.