This postcard was purchased in, if not photographed in, Whakarewarewa Thermal Area, one of many thermal areas in and about Rotorua, tourist capital of the world. This particular area is combined with a "model" Maori village and a Mauri Arts and Crafts Institute that was closed when we visited it. A recent claim of mine is that the Maoris invented tourism when the Europeans landed in New Zealand. Their arts and crafts, as displayed in the Aukland Museum, were quite primitive, despite their having been on New Zealand for nearly a thousand years. Suddenly, and apparently with the influence of more sophisticated tools (and the Catholic Church?) they began building more ornate and larger buildings. Since that time their art has not progressed, and has served the purpose of tourism as much as anything else. the other attraction of this "Area" is the large assortment of Hot Springs, thermal mud, and geysers in this park. They are interesting, but not spectacular. After a trip to the Rotorua Museum, I find that this area was first exploited in the early 1930's, when a vast spa complex was erected to compete with those in Europe. From the pictures it looks like it was tastefully done back then, although it was described as being more like an asylum than anything else (complete with Electric shock massage), but now you can't touch hot water without paying.