On the third day in Hamilton we took a bus to Rotorua, a like district about 1-3/4 hours away. We went to Rainbow springs featuring animals and birds of NZ, but best of all the Kiwi experience where they take the eggs from Kiwi around NZ and breed them in captivity.  The size of the egg is amazing as it takes about half the size of the mother. She can also lay a second egg two weeks later. The male sits on the egg after the female lays the egg, and she disappears until next year. We saw the whole operation of incubation and raising them in captivity. We were very impressed.

Next it was off to lunch in a park with boiling mud pits as this is a volcanic area, and then to the Agrodome for the sheep and dog show. It was hilarious with 21 kinds of sheep and sheep dog tricks. But Zosia and I were both involved with audience participation.  Zosia was asked to guard a sheep until Keith asked her to release the gate – the sheep immediately jumped over the gate to everyone’s amusement. I volunteer to milk the cow on stage and got a Certificate of Udderance.  We did a little shopping at the store and I got the dog whistle that I still cannot produce sounds on.  Back to home for a fine coconut chicken stir fry on rice and homemade cake and ice cream.  Tonight we watch Downton Abbey and Mrs. Brown’s boys (really funny British Comedy – I watched it last week also).  So early to bed for a tour of the city with Sue tomorrow.