Meet Outside the Walls Walking Tour Volunteer Guide Linda Long
Thursday, 11 April 2019
MeetLinda Long who has recently returned to our part of The Shakey Isles after the terrors of the Christchurch earthquake and aftershocks. Linda enjoys water colour painting and has joined our team of entrepid Outside the Walls Walking Tour guides.
Although having lived in Rotorua for over thirty years, my knowledge of the area’s history was very poor, and, I suspect I am not the only one with a lot to learn about our history!
A surprising fact was that even in the early 1900s tourism was the main focus for the concept of creating The Bath House – to be known as ‘The Great South Sea Spa’. It’s still the main focus of many of our developments today.
When I visited my son, a Rotorua boy, in Bristol, UK, earlier this year, he was fascinated to hear about our local history. The fact that Dr Wohlmann came to Rotorua from Bath ( the city next door to Bristol and home to the Roman Baths), in order to establish the Bath House the whole family took note. He knew nothing of our local history – but does now. Locals should take a tour – I am sure they would find it interesting and informative.
I think the most surprising thing from all the information received during training, was the large number of tourists who made the long journey from Europe to visit our country in the late 19th early 20th century when travel was neither convenient or comfortable!
I enjoy meeting people and find that Guiding is a two way experience – I can pass on information and stories and love to hear our visitors’ experiences and their history. I have been fortunate as some of my past work experience was with an airline in USA and at Christchurch Airport where contact with tourists is constant.
Image: Linda Long.
