GAY Guysers-Gazette-Issue10.pdf
The magazine of Guysers Gaystay - a gay men's B&B in Rotorua, New Zealand, that provides a fun, informative and interesting read for gay travellers visiting Rotorua, New Zealand. Contains some adult themes intended for a gay male audience. guysersgaystay.com
The magazine of Guysers Gaystay - a gay men's B&B in Rotorua, New Zealand, that provides a fun, informative and interesting read for gay travellers visiting Rotorua, New Zealand. Contains some adult themes intended for a gay male audience. guysersgaystay.com
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Issue 10 • AUTUMN 2017<br />
<strong>Guysers</strong><br />
<strong>Gazette</strong><br />
A day trip to Waitomo Caves<br />
Rainbow Mountain<br />
Rotorua Area Gay Society (RAGS)<br />
Nude Yoga<br />
Rotorua’s<br />
explosive<br />
forces<br />
Gaystay<br />
Rotorua, New Zealand
Contents<br />
A hot soak with a great<br />
view at the Polynesian Spa.<br />
Welcome<br />
2017: Off to a good start................................3<br />
Tourism<br />
A day trip to Waitomo Caves........................6<br />
Rainbow Mountain Scenic Reserve.........10<br />
History<br />
Rotorua’s explosive forces...........................14<br />
Shopping<br />
Satisfy your sweet tooth..............................18<br />
What to shop for in Rotorua.......................20<br />
Events<br />
RAGS on Wednesdays...................................24<br />
Health<br />
Nude Yoga.........................................................26<br />
GUYSERS <strong>GAY</strong>STAY<br />
Hosted B&B for gay men<br />
1406c Pukuatua Street<br />
Rotorua, New Zealand<br />
Phone: NZ +64 (0) 21 0298 8093<br />
enquiries@guysersgaystay.com<br />
https://guysersgaystay.com<br />
Gaystay<br />
facebook.com/<strong>Guysers</strong>GaystayRotorua<br />
<strong>Guysers</strong> Gaystay is a<br />
member of Gay Stay NZ<br />
New Zealand’s LGBT<br />
hosted accommodation<br />
www.gaystay.co.nz<br />
Welcome<br />
Welcome to our first issue of the <strong>Guysers</strong> <strong>Gazette</strong><br />
for 2017 – our e-magazine for gay travellers to<br />
Rotorua, New Zealand.<br />
In this issue, a recent guest of ours, ,<br />
took a day trip out to the Waitomo Caves visiting<br />
the original Glowworm cave and the spectacular<br />
Ruakuri cave. We get his account of his day there.<br />
We take a hike up to the summit of Rainbow<br />
Mountain to take in the stunning 360 degree views<br />
of Rotorua and surrounds and see its crater lake and<br />
other geothermal features of this active mountain.<br />
We take a look back in history at some of the<br />
hydrothermal eruptions that have taken place in<br />
and around Rotorua, including the recent event<br />
that took place on the lake edge at Ohinemutu.<br />
Wonder what there is to buy in Rotorua? We take a<br />
look at some suggestions where you can wave your<br />
Visa card and come away with some unique, useful,<br />
stylish, interesting, tasty or bazaar items – many of<br />
which are made right here in Rotorua.<br />
We tell you about our new “RAGS” social group and<br />
how you can attend if you are visiting Rotorua.<br />
Last up we look into the added health benefits of<br />
practicing yoga in the nude and why this is<br />
becoming a popular from of exercise worldwide.<br />
We hope you find this issue an interesting read.<br />
Peter & Mike<br />
<strong>Guysers</strong> Gaystay, Rotorua, New Zealand<br />
2 <strong>Guysers</strong> <strong>Gazette</strong><br />
Issue 10 • Autumn 2017
Gaystay<br />
Rotorua<br />
2017.<br />
Off to a<br />
good start<br />
With record numbers of tourists<br />
visiting New Zealand, things are<br />
shaping up to be another busy year.<br />
2017 began on New Years Eve with an<br />
explosion of fireworks, entertainment<br />
and festivities down at the Village<br />
Green and Lakefront, Rotorua.<br />
At <strong>Guysers</strong> Gaystay B&B we’ve had one<br />
of the best summers yet in terms of<br />
accommodation bookings – so much<br />
so, we’ve sadly had to turn enquiries<br />
down as we’ve been booked out.<br />
Forward bookings are looking healthy<br />
well into March/April which is a good<br />
sign that tourism to Rotorua is<br />
continuing steadily even into the<br />
non-peak seasons.<br />
We’ve had some wonderful sunny days<br />
over summer and into the New Year.<br />
It’s been joyful and relaxing getting<br />
outside enjoying the sun on our bodies<br />
and socialising with a beer. We hope to<br />
see you at <strong>Guysers</strong> Gaystay real soon!<br />
Over 10,000 people gathered down at the Village Green<br />
in Rotorua to see in the New Year and party.<br />
The New Year celebrations was part of the ‘GLO Festival’<br />
which featured a line up of local and international<br />
bands, visual art installations and the countdown to a<br />
massive fireworks display over Lake Rotorua.<br />
Continued over...<br />
guysersgaystay.com<br />
<strong>Guysers</strong> <strong>Gazette</strong> 3
Continued...<br />
A little love<br />
in the garden<br />
With the nice weather we’ve been having<br />
in Rotorua our gardens have erupted with<br />
a growth spurt filling our outdoor spaces<br />
with lush foliage and flowers. We get a lot of<br />
pleasure getting out in the sunshine tending<br />
to our Bali-inspired gardens, creating a space<br />
for our guests (and ourselves) that is beautiful,<br />
private and a tranquil place to sit and relax.<br />
Strawberries and cream<br />
Each year at <strong>Guysers</strong> Gaystay we plant<br />
strawberry plants in our raised vege box.<br />
We built a wooden frame and covered it with<br />
netting to keep the birds from eating our<br />
prized crop.<br />
When our strawberries are ripe we use them to<br />
decorate our fresh fruit salads which we prepare<br />
each morning for our guests. We make our fruit<br />
salads with seasonal fruits (never tinned) and<br />
guests can add yoghurt and cereal if they wish. q<br />
4 <strong>Guysers</strong> <strong>Gazette</strong><br />
Issue 10 • Autumn 2017
Many years ago Rotorua acquired the<br />
nickname “Rotovegas” due to a casino<br />
proposal (that was later rejected) and the<br />
bright lights and neons of Fenton Street’s<br />
motel strip resembling a mini Las Vegas.<br />
Love the nickname or loath it, the iconic<br />
‘Welcome to Fabulous Rotovegas’<br />
sign now has its place at the<br />
top of the Skyline complex.<br />
guysersgaystay.com<br />
<strong>Guysers</strong> <strong>Gazette</strong> 5
Tourism<br />
The spiral walkway down<br />
into the Ruakuri Cave.<br />
A day trip to the<br />
By<br />
6 <strong>Guysers</strong> <strong>Gazette</strong><br />
Issue 10 • Autumn 2017
Waitomo’s original<br />
famous Glowworm Cave.<br />
The famous Waitomo Caves is by far the most<br />
spectacular network of caves in New Zealand and a ‘must do’<br />
when travelling the North Island. If you stay with us at <strong>Guysers</strong> Gaystay<br />
in Rotorua, we can arrange a day tour that includes pick-up and drop-off right from our<br />
front door. A recent guest of ours,<br />
, from Toronto Canada, did a combo day tour<br />
visiting the Glowworm Caves and the Ruakuri Cave. Here is Lee’s story of his day tour...<br />
This is my second visit to Rotorua. There is so<br />
much to see and do here I just had to return to<br />
this lovely town. On this trip I wanted to visit<br />
the Glowworm Caves at Waitomo. It was Mike at<br />
<strong>Guysers</strong> Gaystay who advised me that this can<br />
be done as a day trip by bus from Rotorua.<br />
Waitomo is 180 km from Rotorua (about<br />
2 hours by bus with an early departure).<br />
We had a very pleasant bus journey through<br />
beautiful countryside and farmlands. I can<br />
see now why Peter Jackson chose this area of<br />
New Zealand for the Shire movie set!<br />
We arrived at the visitor centre in Waitomo<br />
by 9 am, and were then instructed on where to<br />
congregate for the start of the tour.<br />
First up for me was the Glowworm Cave and<br />
within minutes we were below ground amongst<br />
caverns of stalactites and stalagmites.<br />
guysersgaystay.com<br />
The complete tour of the Glowworm Cave lasts<br />
45 minutes with a guide that explains the rock<br />
formations and glowworm life cycle. A slow<br />
boat ride through the dark and silent cave with<br />
thousands of glowworms lighting the cave<br />
ceiling completes the tour. The glowworms are<br />
spectacular and fascinating to see, I must say.<br />
We were instructed that no photography is<br />
allowed inside the Glowworm Cave and we<br />
were asked to keep quite as loud noise or<br />
camera flashes will disturb the glowworms and<br />
they will stop glowing.<br />
The next cave of my ‘combo’ ticket, and indeed<br />
the highlight for me, was a one-kilometre<br />
guided walk through the Ruakuri Cave.<br />
Ruakuri Cave is the longest underground cave<br />
in the Waitomo area. It was first discovered by<br />
local Māori between 400 and 500 years ago.<br />
Continued over...<br />
<strong>Guysers</strong> <strong>Gazette</strong> 7
Continued...<br />
The name Ruakuri, or “den of dogs” was<br />
created when wild dogs were discovered<br />
making their home in the cave entrance some<br />
300 years later.<br />
The Ruakuri Cave tour begins with a 15-metre<br />
descent down a spiral walkway then through a<br />
door that is closed behind you after you enter<br />
to keep the atmospheric climate conditions<br />
from changing inside the cave.<br />
After a quick safety briefing and a few rules<br />
of the cave (like no breaking pieces off to<br />
take as souvenirs, as people used to do many<br />
years ago, shame on them) our group was<br />
manoeuvring through narrow pathways<br />
surrounded by towering limestone formations,<br />
underground rivers, waterfalls, and more<br />
impressive stalactites and stalagmites than<br />
you can imagine!<br />
Also in the Ruakuri Cave were fossils – a remnant<br />
from the time thousands of years ago when the<br />
area was beneath the sea.<br />
The Ruakuri Cave also has quite a number of<br />
glowworm colonies and visitors can get close<br />
up views of the ‘tentacles’ that the glowworm<br />
uses to ensnare its prey (see picture below).<br />
The glowworms are much closer to you in this<br />
cave than those in the original Glowworm Cave.<br />
Pathways are lit by small ground-level lights<br />
and major formations are brightly illuminated.<br />
Photography is welcome, although no flash<br />
can be used. At one point we ventured forth<br />
without any light to gain the experience of<br />
what the caves are like in the dark. We slowly<br />
walked forward down the dark path not being<br />
able to see one foot in front of us. Spooky!<br />
We came to a point in the cave where we could<br />
see and hear people laughing and screaming<br />
on inner-tubes drifting down the cave river<br />
below and crazy abseilers scaling the rock walls<br />
around us. For hardcore adventurers, this must<br />
be an experience of a lifetime for them!<br />
After the tour of the Ruakuri Cave was over we<br />
returned to the visitor centre and had time to<br />
relax and have a drink and a bite to eat before<br />
the 2-hour bus ride back to Rotorua.<br />
Visiting the Waitomo Caves was a pleasant,<br />
enjoyable and memorable day that I highly<br />
recommend to anyone coming to this area.<br />
Arachnocampa Luminosa larvae are predatory and<br />
use their lights to lure prey into their sticky webs.<br />
Natures magnificent stalagmite and stalactite formations inside the<br />
Ruakuri cave network have taken hundreds of years to form.<br />
8 <strong>Guysers</strong> <strong>Gazette</strong><br />
Issue 10 • Autumn 2017
If people have their<br />
own car, a visit to the<br />
Waitomo Caves makes a<br />
lovely day trip.<br />
For guests staying at <strong>Guysers</strong><br />
Gaystay who are without a car,<br />
Mike and Peter will gladly arrange a tour bus<br />
company to take you there and bring you<br />
back (a door-to-door service too!). The friendly<br />
and efficient bus driver provides informative<br />
commentary about sights along the way.<br />
Whether you are driving yourself or taking the<br />
bus tour as I did, advanced reservations are<br />
essential (on the day I went, the Ruakuri Cave<br />
tours were sold out and people were being<br />
turned away, so do pre-book). q<br />
for more information<br />
For more information, current prices or to<br />
pre-book Waitomo bus tours if staying with<br />
us at <strong>Guysers</strong> Gaystay, please visit:<br />
https://guysersgaystay.com/tours.html<br />
For adrenalin junkies Waitomo has three ultimate cave experiences<br />
offering abseiling, ziplining, rope climbing and inner-tubing.<br />
The original Waitomo Black Water Rafting Adventure has you<br />
exploring and tubing through the mysterious Ruakuri Cave.<br />
guysersgaystay.com<br />
<strong>Guysers</strong> <strong>Gazette</strong> 9
Rainbow Mountain<br />
Scenic Reserve<br />
The mountain<br />
with a nipple!<br />
Rainbow Mountain (Maungakakaramea, meaning ‘mountain of coloured<br />
earth’), is one of the great free walks in the Rotorua district. The 1.5 hour<br />
climb to the summit rewards you with a spectacular 360-degree view of Rotorua’s surrounding<br />
lakes, forests and mountains. Alternatively you can take the shorter 15-minute walk<br />
to the eggshell blue crater lake.<br />
If it’s a warm day you’ll<br />
want to shed some clothing<br />
as you’ll work up a sweat<br />
walking to the summit.<br />
q<br />
10 <strong>Guysers</strong> <strong>Gazette</strong><br />
Issue 10 • Autumn 2017
Rainbow Mountain lies 26 km south-east of<br />
Rotorua, beside the Rotorua-Taupo highway<br />
(SH5). Approaching from Rotorua the gravel<br />
carpark is located just past the turnoff for<br />
SH38, on the left-hand side of the road.<br />
The mountain top has an unusual rounded<br />
nipple shape, known as Tihi-o-Rua – ‘the owl’s<br />
perch’. More appropriately it should have the<br />
nickname ‘Titty Mountain’ (you’ll see why!).<br />
From the carpark on SH5, follow the signs to<br />
the crater lakes lookout.<br />
Crater Lakes Walk<br />
The Crater Lakes Walk offers great views of<br />
two volcanic craters set against a backdrop of<br />
rugged brown, orange and red steaming cliffs.<br />
This walk takes just 15 minutes (one way) to<br />
reach the viewing platform where you can<br />
admire the stunning blue crater lakes and the<br />
near-vertical volcanic cliff face and hear the<br />
hiss of the simmering pools of water below.<br />
Although Rainbow Mountain had a very<br />
volcanic past it has cooled over recent years,<br />
allowing the native vegetation to slowly begin<br />
regenerating. Some plant species found on the<br />
mountain are very rare and grow only in<br />
geothermal areas such as this.<br />
Continued over...<br />
The viewing platform<br />
overlooking the eggshell<br />
blue crater lake.<br />
guysersgaystay.com<br />
<strong>Guysers</strong> <strong>Gazette</strong> 11
Continued...<br />
The Summit Track<br />
The 2.5km track to the summit takes you<br />
upward through a variety of native bush,<br />
bare ridges and volcanic areas with sulphur<br />
crystal deposits and steaming cliffs. You’ll see<br />
regular views of the crater lakes below and<br />
surrounding countryside along the way.<br />
The final part of the track emerges onto the<br />
dirt and gravel summit road which will take<br />
you the remainder of the way to the top.<br />
(Note, the last few hundred meters of the track<br />
is quite steep so you’ll need a rest to catch your<br />
breath and at the top! Take some food and<br />
drink with you as you’ll be needing it).<br />
From the summit you’ll have spectacular views<br />
of Mt Tarawera, Lakes Tarawera, Rotomahana,<br />
Okaro and Rerewhakaaitu to the north. Look<br />
south to see Lake Taupo and the fantastic<br />
volcano Mt Tongariro plus other<br />
landmarks.<br />
The summit provides a nice flat picnic area to<br />
take in the views, or for a slightly better view,<br />
ask the man in the fire-watch tower nicely and<br />
he’ll invite you up for a view from the deck<br />
(if he happens to be in there).<br />
The track to the summit requires a good level<br />
of fitness. You’ll need to wear sturdy boots/<br />
shoes, and bring with you layers of clothing as<br />
it can be cool and windy at the summit.q<br />
for more information<br />
For more information on Rainbow Mountain<br />
and the walking tracks, visit:<br />
www.doc.govt.nz<br />
and type in "Rainbow Mountain"<br />
into the search bar.<br />
On the way up to the<br />
summit you’ll pass areas<br />
where the ground is<br />
clearly active underneath.<br />
View from a safe distance!<br />
12 <strong>Guysers</strong> <strong>Gazette</strong><br />
Issue 10 • Autumn 2017
The red/orange cliff face<br />
gently steams away<br />
above the crater lake.<br />
Catch your breath while<br />
taking in the stunning<br />
scenery from the summit<br />
of Rainbow Mountain.<br />
guysersgaystay.com<br />
<strong>Guysers</strong> <strong>Gazette</strong> 13
Continued...<br />
Tourism History<br />
Rotorua’s<br />
explosive forces<br />
Hydrothermal explosions occur when superheated water trapped below the surface<br />
of the earth rapidly converts from liquid to steam, violently ‘erupting’. Boiling water,<br />
steam, mud, and rock fragments called breccia are ejected over an area of a few<br />
meters up to several kilometres in diameter. The following are some examples that<br />
have occurred in and around the Rotorua district between 1900 and present day.<br />
Te Ara - the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, www.TeAra.govt.nz/en/<br />
photograph/15044/waimangu-geyser<br />
1900<br />
Waimangu<br />
The Waimangu (‘black water’) geyser was the largest geyser recorded<br />
anywhere in the world, erupting between 1900 and 1904.<br />
The geyser’s life was brief and spectacular. Eruptions of muddy water<br />
and large rocks to heights of 150 metres were common, and there were<br />
occasional super-eruptions to the remarkable height of 460 metres<br />
(for reference: the top of Auckland’s Sky Tower is about 330 metres<br />
above street level).<br />
Throughout 1903, the geyser increased in activity (see picture), and<br />
increasing numbers of visitors flocked to see the spectacle. However,<br />
a tragic event occurred that year: four tourists ventured closer to get a<br />
better view, but were swept away and killed by a sudden eruption.<br />
By November 1904 activity of the geyser had suddenly stopped.<br />
14 <strong>Guysers</strong> <strong>Gazette</strong><br />
Issue 10 • Autumn 2017
Image: GNS Science<br />
1980<br />
The<br />
KUIRAU PARK<br />
closure of many domestic thermal bores in Rotorua (with the aim<br />
of restoring the strength of the suffering Pohutu Geyser) saw once<br />
previously dried up springs in Kuirau Park fill up with water again,<br />
and as seen in the above example a sudden release of energy in the<br />
form of a hydrothermal eruption ejecting water, mud and steam.<br />
Image: GNS Science<br />
2000<br />
On<br />
TareWA ROAD<br />
18th September 2000, a spring erupted just off Tarewa Road<br />
on the western fringe of Kuirau Park, producing waves and surges.<br />
The eruption occurred on private land and may have been caused by<br />
the removal of a clothesline pole and anchoring concrete block three<br />
days earlier. Four houses nearest the spring had to be demolished.<br />
SUPPLIED VIA ALEXANDER TURNBULL LIBRARY,<br />
REFERENCE PACOLL-0339-01)<br />
guysersgaystay.com<br />
Continued over...<br />
<strong>Guysers</strong> <strong>Gazette</strong> 15
Continued...<br />
Continued...<br />
2001<br />
KUIRAU PARK<br />
A hydrothermal eruption occurred at Kuirau Park in Rotorua on 26th<br />
January 2001. This was the largest hydrothermal eruption since 1966.<br />
A hot muddy pool 3 metres in diameter was the source of the eruption.<br />
Blocks and ejecta were thrown 100 metres high and 1 metre diameter<br />
blocks were thrown 50 metres away. Miraculously no one was injured<br />
considering the eruption occurred mid-afternoon.<br />
Te Ara - the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, www.TeAra.govt.nz/<br />
en/photograph/6503/hydrothermal-eruption-at-reporoa-2005<br />
2005<br />
A<br />
REPOROA<br />
large unexpected hydrothermal eruption on 19 April 2005 left a<br />
50-metre-wide crater in a scenic reserve at Reporoa. A column of<br />
steam, mud and rocks was ejected 200 metres into the air. Farmer<br />
Phil Morgan said “The cows saw it first and bolted up the paddock.<br />
I wondered what was up, then I saw it myself. I got covered in fine ash”.<br />
16 <strong>Guysers</strong> <strong>Gazette</strong><br />
Issue 10 • Autumn 2017
2016<br />
In<br />
OHINEMUTU<br />
November 2016 a hydrothermal eruption occurred on the lake edge<br />
at Ohinemutu where local residents were woken at 4:00am to the sound<br />
of water shooting 20 to 30 metres into the air and splashing down<br />
again. Two days later a smaller sized hydrothermal eruption occurred in<br />
the same spot (pictured). Rotorua Lakes Council geothermal inspector<br />
said the eruption was like a cap blowing off a well<br />
shaken bottle of fizzy drink. q<br />
guysersgaystay.com<br />
<strong>Guysers</strong> <strong>Gazette</strong> 17
Shopping<br />
Satisfy your sweet tooth<br />
At the top of Skyline complex in Rotorua is the Jelly Belly Store and Gallery. The huge<br />
selection of gourmet flavoured jelly beans is sure to bring out the child in all of us.<br />
Jelly Belly Store<br />
The store has around 100 different delicious<br />
flavours of jelly beans, with an entire wall of<br />
Pick 'n Mix beans to choose from. The jelly beans<br />
come in every colour of the rainbow and the<br />
flavours are very realistic. You can choose 20<br />
small packets from the clear vertical cylinders<br />
that line the wall to fill your own gift box or you<br />
can purchase pre-packaged gift packs.<br />
Try creating your own unique flavour by eating<br />
2 jelly beans at once, eg, banana and chocolate,<br />
pineapple and coconut, cinnamon and apple,<br />
Dr Pepper and cherry, to name a few examples.<br />
The Jelly Belly Store and Gallery is proof that we<br />
are all kids at heart!<br />
If you’re a big kid who loves cocktails the<br />
Jelly Belly Cocktail Classics Gift Box is sure<br />
to please. This box contains Pina Colada,<br />
Strawberry Daiquiri, Mojito, Peach Bellini<br />
and Pomegranate Cosmo.<br />
18 <strong>Guysers</strong> <strong>Gazette</strong><br />
Issue 10 • Autumn 2017
One wall in the Jelly Belly Store and Gallery<br />
features artworks painstakingly and<br />
cleverly created entirely out of jelly beans!<br />
See a replica of Leonardo da Vinci’s<br />
Mona Lisa, a portrait of Harry Potter and<br />
Van Gogh’s The Starry Night (see above)<br />
which boasts over 11,500 beans!<br />
Bean Boozled<br />
It’s a daring game which involves spinning<br />
a wheel to select a bean. For each jelly bean<br />
colour on the wheel there are two possible<br />
flavours – one delicious flavour and one<br />
that’ll leave a bad taste in your mouth.<br />
The catch is you can’t tell which bean is<br />
good or bad until you taste it!<br />
You could be trying strawberry jam, peach,<br />
juicy pear, chocolate pudding and caramel<br />
corn (yum!) or dog food, vomit, rotten egg,<br />
booger or baby wipes (yuk!).<br />
These beans may look alike but they could<br />
not taste more different from each other. q<br />
guysersgaystay.com<br />
<strong>Guysers</strong> <strong>Gazette</strong> 19
What to shop for in Rotorua<br />
Once upon a time visitors to Rotorua would purchase tacky plastic Tiki’s or Maori dolls<br />
(that were actually made in China!). Things have moved on a lot since those days.<br />
Now Rotorua offers a range of quality shops and unique products, some of which are<br />
made in Rotorua. Here are a few suggestions on what you can purchase here in Rotorua.<br />
Handmade cushions made here in<br />
Rotorua by Hayley Burnett. Designs<br />
include feathers, skulls, birds and Tiki’s<br />
all lovingly embroidered.<br />
Helium, 1283 Tutanekai St, Rotorua<br />
Icebreaker Anatomica Briefs are stylish,<br />
comfortable and give great support. They<br />
come in a range of colours and are made<br />
from 83% merino, 12% nylon / 5% lycra.<br />
Outdoorsman, 6 Tarawera Rd, Rotorua<br />
New Zealand possum fibre is one of<br />
the finest and softest fibres that nature<br />
produces. Blended with merino wool gives<br />
garments warmth and strength.<br />
Shop for hats, gloves and scarves at:<br />
Woollen Mill shop, Agrodome, Rotorua<br />
Rotorua-based Croucher Brewing produce<br />
a range of award-winner craft beers you<br />
are sure to love. Try a tasting flight at the<br />
Brew Bar on Eat Streat or purchase a few<br />
packs to enjoy with friends, available from:<br />
Liquor King, 244 Fenton St, Rotorua<br />
20 <strong>Guysers</strong> <strong>Gazette</strong><br />
Issue 10 • Autumn 2017
David Trubridge is a furniture and<br />
lighting designer based in Whakatu,<br />
New Zealand. His work has become<br />
widely celebrated for its innovative,<br />
environmentally sensitive qualities.<br />
His fascination with nature has led<br />
him to develop collections which are<br />
inspired by flora, fauna and formations<br />
within the landscape. The sculptural<br />
light shades are sold as a kitset giving<br />
the product’s construction process<br />
emotional worth. David Trubridge<br />
lights are available from the iNZspired<br />
store at the top of Skyline, Rotorua.<br />
iNZpired Store, 178 Fairy Springs Rd<br />
Rotorua’s Volcanic Hills Wines takes grapes<br />
from the best wine growing regions in<br />
New Zealand and produces a range of<br />
gorgeous wines. Purchase from their<br />
Tasting Room at the top of the gondola.<br />
VH Wines, 176 Fairy Springs Rd, Rotorua<br />
At <strong>Guysers</strong> Gaystay we now sell the Pure<br />
Source range of Rotorua Thermal Mud<br />
products. The Mud Mask containing<br />
Rotorua mud, Aloe Vera, Almond Oil and<br />
Manuka Honey cleanses and soothes the<br />
skin. The Facial Scrub exfoliates and draws<br />
impurities and excess oils from the skin,<br />
and the Heat Rub makes an intense an<br />
warming massage rub for the body.<br />
Available from us at <strong>Guysers</strong> Gaystay<br />
Rotorua glass blower<br />
Ron van der Vlugt captures the<br />
shifting qualities of light and<br />
colour as the glass moves from<br />
a glowing, flowing, molten state<br />
into a cool, hard, solid shape<br />
relying on the natural forces of<br />
gravity and spinning to shape it.<br />
de Flute Glass, 153 Fairy<br />
Springs Rd, Rotorua<br />
Continued over...<br />
guysersgaystay.com<br />
<strong>Guysers</strong> <strong>Gazette</strong> 21
Continued...<br />
Riding a bicycle just got easier with the<br />
New Zealand designed Volto range of<br />
electric-assisted bikes. With powerful<br />
300W motors and a range of up to 90km<br />
(depending on terrain) you’ll love getting<br />
around on these. 4 models to choose from.<br />
Electric Bike, 1265 Fenton St, Rotorua<br />
Arataki Honey is New Zealand’s No.1<br />
honey producer. The Rotorua division is a<br />
great place to stock up on their delicious<br />
range of quality honey’s including the<br />
world famous Manukua Honey.<br />
Benny Bees, Waiotapu, SH 5, Rotorua<br />
Taste pure New Zealand water from<br />
Te Waireka spring. Scientific testing<br />
showed the water from Te Waireka spring<br />
to be of a very high quality with excellent<br />
mineral contents. Paradise Pure Spring<br />
Water is bottled on site and sold at the<br />
Paradise Valley Springs shop.<br />
467 Paradise Valley Rd, Rotorua<br />
Rotorua Potter Gareth Andrews makes<br />
work that is full of earthy and rustic<br />
character. The objects he creates, such<br />
as mugs, flasks, vases and bowls, have a<br />
specific and beautiful charm.<br />
Helium, 1283 Tutanekai St, Rotorua<br />
22 <strong>Guysers</strong> <strong>Gazette</strong><br />
Issue 10 • Autumn 2017
Examples:<br />
Teapot<br />
David Bowie<br />
NZ Artist Mark Rayner made news headlines with his nude<br />
latch hook rug depictions of ex-Prime Minister John Key,<br />
Prince Harry and a rather hung Labour Leader, Andrew Little.<br />
Mark’s glazed plates, teapots and figurines are a modern<br />
and playful take on the grotesque; a style characterised by<br />
exaggeration, the fantastic and sometimes the absurd.<br />
Helium Gallery in Rotorua have a range of Mark Rayner’s<br />
works on display. Check in store for current works on sale.<br />
Helium, 1283 Tutanekai St, Rotorua<br />
Treat yourself or a partner to a New<br />
Zealand greenstone (pounamu) necklace<br />
handcrafted in store at Mountain Jade.<br />
Mountain Jade, 1288 Fenton St, Rotorua<br />
The multi-award winning Mamaku Blue<br />
‘Blueberry Experience’ & Winery is located<br />
just 12 minutes north of the Agrodome,<br />
Rotorua. The blueberries they grow here<br />
are used to produce wines, liqueur, pure<br />
juice, jams, jelly, sauces, chocolates and<br />
real fruit ice cream.<br />
311 Maraeroa Rd, Mamaku, Rotorua<br />
guysersgaystay.com<br />
<strong>Guysers</strong> <strong>Gazette</strong> 23
Events<br />
RAGS on Wednesdays<br />
‘RAGS’ stands for ‘Rotorua Area Gay Society’ – a weekly gay mens social group that is<br />
proving to be a popular evening out with local residence and visitors alike.<br />
Rotorua’s RAGS group reformed in October<br />
2016. It started with a small group of guys who<br />
began meeting on Wednesday evenings for<br />
a drink. Over a short period of time, and by<br />
word of mouth, RAGS has steadily increased<br />
to around 20 locals with usual attendees of<br />
around 14 guys as well as international<br />
tourists joining us from time to time.<br />
The RAGS group meets every Wednesday<br />
evening from 5pm at a selected bar for a<br />
few drinks followed by dinner at a local<br />
restaurant for those that wish to partake<br />
in a meal.<br />
24 <strong>Guysers</strong> <strong>Gazette</strong><br />
Issue 10 • Autumn 2017
The bar and restaurant changes each week<br />
to provide variety. Where we go for dinner is<br />
usually discussed and chosen on the night.<br />
The RAGS group is still evolving and ideas<br />
for future get-togethers have included home<br />
BBQs/Pot Luck dinners and Ten Pin Bowling at<br />
Rotorua’s new Motion Entertainment complex.<br />
RAGS provides the opportunity to socialise and<br />
network with a group of local guys and make<br />
new and lasting friendships.<br />
Gay Rotorua locals, NZ visitors to Rotorua and<br />
international tourists are most welcome to join<br />
us for our weekly RAGS social get-together. q<br />
CONTACT<br />
To attend ‘RAGS on Wednesdays’ please<br />
email info@gayrotorua.com with your<br />
name and mobile number and you’ll be<br />
contacted with details for that week.<br />
guysersgaystay.com<br />
<strong>Guysers</strong> <strong>Gazette</strong> 25
Health<br />
26 <strong>Guysers</strong> <strong>Gazette</strong><br />
Issue 10 • Autumn 2017
NUDE YOGA<br />
Everyone has heard of yoga and many of you already practice it on a regular basis whether<br />
at a group class session or in the privacy of your own home. But are there any added benefits<br />
of practicing yoga in the nude?<br />
Naked yoga first started in India were members<br />
would undress themselves both physically and<br />
spiritually from all material possessions, sexual<br />
desires and anything physical in this world.<br />
Naked yoga then travelled to Europe through<br />
naturist movements in Germany, Switzerland<br />
and North America. In more recent times nude<br />
yoga classes have been catering for distinctive<br />
audiences (all male classes, all women, mixedsex<br />
or classes specifically for gay men). Nude<br />
yoga classes are also here in New Zealand now.<br />
One person famous for the promotion of<br />
naked yoga in the West is Aaron Star, owner<br />
of Hot Nude Yoga, offering nude yoga classes<br />
and a range of nude yoga DVDs. He began his<br />
version of nude yoga in April 2001 becoming<br />
an instant underground sensation. Because<br />
of the success of Hot Nude Yoga, nude yoga<br />
groups began to blossom all over the world,<br />
from London, Moscow, Madrid to Sydney.<br />
Many of these male-only naked yoga groups<br />
have been associated with the gay community,<br />
though often not intentionally.<br />
You can purchase the Hot Nude<br />
Yoga DVDs from Amazon.<br />
guysersgaystay.com<br />
What are the benefits of nude yoga?.<br />
Nude yoga helps you discover an entirely new<br />
way of looking at your own body, inspiring<br />
you to take pride and pleasure in your unique<br />
physique and capabilities.<br />
It teaches you to embrace your imperfections<br />
and open your heart to yourself and to the<br />
world with courage and confidence.<br />
When you practice yoga in the nude you’ll<br />
have total freedom. You may also feel free by<br />
liberating yourself from the social restraints<br />
against nudity.<br />
Body and body image acceptance plays a big<br />
part in one’s self-esteem which is often hard to<br />
achieve when society is full of photoshopped<br />
images of non-real bodies that society calls<br />
beauty. Nude yoga is about knowing, accepting<br />
and loving yourself at your core.<br />
Feelings of embarrassment and shame are<br />
socially constructed emotions. By practicing<br />
nude yoga you’ll learn to let go of those<br />
negative emotions.<br />
When you’re fully clothed your skin is restricted<br />
from breathing. Being nude while doing yoga<br />
gives your skin a chance to sweat out body<br />
toxins and breathe freely.<br />
While naked yoga in its true form has little to<br />
do with society’s preconceived notions of sex<br />
or eroticism, make no mistake: naked yoga is<br />
sexy. It’s the sort of sexy that comes from inside,<br />
when someone feels authentically connected,<br />
confident, and alive. Naked yoga gives people<br />
permission to feel joyful and radiant in their<br />
own skin.<br />
Continued over...<br />
<strong>Guysers</strong> <strong>Gazette</strong> 27
Continued...<br />
Here are a few common yoga poses for you to try<br />
BOUND ANGLE<br />
SPINAL TWIST<br />
Provides an excellent stretch for the groin<br />
muscles, increases suppleness in the tendons,<br />
knees and hips and improves posture.<br />
Massages lower abdominal organs, stretches<br />
the spine and nerves correcting stiffness in the<br />
neck and helps with elimination.<br />
CHAIR<br />
FULL SHOULDERSTAND<br />
Strengthens the Achilles tendons, ankles and<br />
thigh muscles, stretches the back of the legs<br />
and calves and energizes the entire body.<br />
Improves blood flow to the brain, stimulates<br />
the thyroid, promotes calm and serenity and<br />
nourishes the complexion.<br />
28 <strong>Guysers</strong> <strong>Gazette</strong><br />
Issue 10 • Autumn 2017
Nude yoga helps to battle stress, will boost your self-esteem and deals with lowering anxiety.<br />
To prevent negative feelings from overpowering our lives, practice nude yoga with nature as<br />
your setting. Nude yoga gives you the benefit of practicing this form of exercise freely.<br />
CHILD<br />
KNEE HUG<br />
Completely refreshes the back and spine,<br />
massages the inner organs, rejuvenates the body<br />
and promotes a sense of security and nurturing.<br />
Stretches the lower back muscles, massages<br />
the entire back and lower abdominal organs<br />
and restores energy throughout the body.<br />
CAT & DOG STRETCH<br />
HEADSTAND<br />
Improves circulation and stretches the muscles<br />
along the back, neck and arms. Increases<br />
suppleness along the spine.<br />
guysersgaystay.com<br />
Improves blood flow to the eyes, head and<br />
scalp, increases focus, improves digestion and<br />
strengthens arms and shoulders.<br />
Continued over...<br />
<strong>Guysers</strong> <strong>Gazette</strong> 29
<strong>Guysers</strong> Gaystay in Rotorua has<br />
a private garden setting where<br />
you can enjoy practicing yoga.<br />
What to bring:<br />
• A yoga mat<br />
• Sunscreen<br />
• and a smile<br />
Gaystay<br />
If you need help achieving<br />
various yoga poses, we have<br />
50 illustrative yoga cards<br />
with instructions on how to<br />
do the poses correctly.<br />
30 Kiwi Experience GoNaked New Zealand Magazine<br />
Issue 10 • Autumn 2017<br />
<strong>Guysers</strong> <strong>Gazette</strong>
SPUNK<br />
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SPUNK Lube Hybrid is safe<br />
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SPUNK Lube Hybrid<br />
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Orders within New Zealand<br />
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<strong>Guysers</strong> <strong>Gazette</strong> 31
Hosted homestay for men<br />
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https://guysersgaystay.com<br />
www.gaystay.co.nz<br />
Oh! Naturist is dedicated to nature and<br />
naturism. More than 6,400 naturist friends<br />
from more than 100 countries meet, exchange<br />
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<strong>Guysers</strong> <strong>Gazette</strong><br />
32 Nudist, Naturist, Naturism, Gay, Naked, GoNaked Issue 10 • Autumn 2017