Rotorua · Ground That Bubbles

Rotorua is built on an active volcanic field: mud pools churn in the parks, steam rises from cracks by the lake, the smell of sulphur drifts along the streets, and on rainy days the ground seems to sweat.

Māori were using the hot springs here long ago to cook and to treat illness, building their houses where the ground gave off heat and using the lie of the land to block the wind. In the stories, the water and the fire of this place were left by the ancestors and are to be used by rule.

The smell of sulphur is always in the town. Locals no longer notice it; visitors wrinkle their noses the moment they step off the bus.

Folklore / Bay of Plenty · New Zealand / Time immemorial