My day started out with a surprise. As Shawn was walking around Matamata this morning in search of coffee (either a long black or a flat white), he found a patchwork shop. The owner was very friendly and showed me her selection of New Zealand designed fabrics (of which a few are coming home with me). She said quilting is popular in New Zealand and there are many guilds, but many shops are closing because it is cheaper to buy fabric on the Internet. We drove to Rotorua to see the thermal geysers at Te Puia. Lots of bubbling mud, steam, and the occasional spouting geyser. I've noticed the parks in New Zealand are very well maintained with paved walkways and informative signage. Its probably obvious, but I must mention it was hot, humid and smelled of sulfur. They have carving and weaving schools to teach the younger generations the age old art. The designs are very intricate. We stopped in t...