Day 142 - Taupo, New Zealand

Day 142 – 28th October 2005 +12:00 GMT Total Miles 27508

Got up at 7:30am and by 8:30am was on the road heading to the mountains. Jill, Reece, myself and Susan (one of the Irish girls we had meet last night) all went to Whakapapa this is ski resort. We drove up the mountain as far as we could go, which was around 4,000ft and then parked and Reece, Susan and I decided we would all spend the day Snow Boarding.


Mount Ruapehu


Mount Ruapehu


Mount Ruapehu

We hired the equipment and paid for a lesson by the time we had all changed into our gear and collected the equipment we needed and gone up the 2 chair lifts to the top it was almost 12pm. So we sat in the café at the top of the mountain in the snow now at 7,000ft drinking hot chocolate waiting for our 12:30pm lesson.


Us all in the cafe

At 12:30pm we all went to the meeting point for the lesson and since I had snow boarded once before ( a indoor session at Milton Keynes Snow Dome) we were split into two groups.


Me and my Snowboard

I had a run on the beginners slope and was told I was too good for that so was taken onto the T-bar ski lift higher up the mountain to a better ski run. After about 20 minutes I was actually surprising myself and snow boarding really well making sharp turns on steep gradiants.


Me Snowboarding


Me Snowboarding

The Lesson was 90 minutes and then I went to find Jill in the café having a beer. I had a drink a quick rest then went to find Reece and Susan on the beginners slope. I had a few runs on the beginners slope then went back in for a long rest with Jill.


At the top of Mount Ruapehu


At the top of Mount Ruapehu

After a rest I went back out for 30 minutes before they called last run on the mountain and we all had to get the chair lifts down and return our equipment.


Jill on Mount Ruapehu

It had been a great day, but I had not taken my own advice and did not put any sun block on. Even though it was overcast and near freezing I still ended up having a face that resembled a lobster I was sun burnt badly.


View on the way home

I then drove us all back to the hostel and we got back around 6pm.


Jill and Susan

Jill and I cracked open a bottle of wine and sat out and had a drink before getting an early night.

Day 141 - Taupo, New Zealand

Day 141 – 27th October 2005 +12:00 GMT Total Miles 27357

We spent most of the morning at the hostel doing crosswords and hanging out, In the afternoon we for a drive and as we drove through town we saw an elephant in a field which was not what we were expecting. So we pulled over and took some photo’s there were also several donkeys and pony’s tied up nearby.


An Elephant


Jill and a Donkey

We found out a circus was coming to town and had left the animals tied up for the day. The poor things had no food, water or any shelter and it was boiling hot. We drove on to a place called Cherry Island which is a wildlife reserve, the actually island was closed by the surrounding riverside area was lovely. So we sat down on the grass and watched the world go by for a while.


Cherry Island


A Lonesome Duck

We then took a drive around part of Lake Taupo and had a walk along the lake shore.


Lake Taupo


The Shore at Lake Taupo


One Large Duck

We then went and got fish and chips and sat by the water eating then, we bought some more food for the evening and headed back to the hostel. Reece and I jumped in the hot tub and then lay around on hammocks in the sun. Then had a few games of table tennis and went and cooked some food. In the evening we sat in the kitchen talking to a bunch of Irish girls from Belfast. Had an early night as had a busy day planned for tomorrow.

Day 140 - Rotorua - Taupo, New Zealand

Day 140 – 26th October 2005 +12:00 GMT Total Miles 27347

Got up early and checked out of the hostel before 9:30am. We drove south for about 30 km to Wai-O-Tapu, this is a 18 square kilometre geo-thermal area.


Wai-O-Tapu

We arrived around 10am and paid our entry then had to get back in the car and drive about 1km down the road and park. We then all sat in an amphitheatre and waited, here there is a geyser that erupts at 10:15am everyday.


Dormant Geyser

Just after 10:15am a Wai-O-Tapu employee arrived and explained that although it is a natural geyser they can not tell precisely when it will go off only that it naturally erupts between every 8 and 36 hours. So to make it erupt at 10:15am everyday they pour salt crystals into the geyser this changes the surface density of the cold water and therefore the hot water underneath erupts. So in go the salt crystals and within a few minutes we have a 60ft geyser which lasts up to an hour.


Geyser after Salt Crystals added


Geyser going off

After 20 minutes we then drive back to the main park and walk around. We see bubbling mud pools and huge craters full of steaming water.


Wai-O-Tapu


Wai-O-Tapu

A large lake which they call the artists palette has a mass array of colours on it from reds, greens, yellows and blacks.


The Artists Palette


The Artists Palette

There are a total of 3 trails around the park which link if you are prepared to walk all the way around. So we took the long walk and saw all the lakes and waterfalls and sulphur stained rock.


Wai-O-Tapu


Champagne Pool


Champagne Pool


Me at the Champagne Pool

The park is pretty amazing and has a mass of steam full of minerals rising into the air from all areas.


Wai-O-Tapu


Wai-O-Tapu


The Oyster Pool


Wai-O-Tapu


Wai-O-Tapu


Sulphur Mounds


The Green Lake


Wai-O-Tapu

We left the park around 12:30pm and stopped a little further down the road to look at the bubbling mud pools before carrying on to Taupo.


Bubbling Mud


Bubbling Mud


Bubbling Mud


Bubbling Mud

After we left Wai-O-Tapu we visited Huka Falls which are amazing as 100 metres of river is squeezed into a 15 metre corridor.


Huka Falls


Huka Falls

We checked into the YHA hostel Action Down Under at around 1:30pm. The hostel has pretty small rooms but seems nice all the rooms open onto a sundeck and have views over the Lake and mountains. It has a large kitchen and lounge and TV room, It has a garden which has sun loungers, hammocks and even a hot tub, you can also sit out on the sundeck. After arriving we almost immediately headed into town for some food. We stopped at a bar and café called breakers and had a beer and some food. We then went to the local supermarket and stocked up on food for the night. Back at the hostel we meet some of the guys from the previous hostel and we sat around playing cards and drinking for the rest of the night.

Day 139 - Rotorua, New Zealand

Day 139 – 25th October 2005 +12:00 GMT Total Miles 27293

Spent the morning on the internet trying to book somewhere to stay in Hawaii, Unfortunately when we are there it is the Honolulu Marathon and every hotel and hostel seems to be sold out. After 2 hours on the internet we had failed to find anywhere, so we decided to head into town and visit a travel agents. The Travel Agents found us one hotel with Vacancies but it costs $6480 which is a little out of our price range. So we ordered a Kebab and sat down in town then tried a different travel agents, this guy thought he had found a room and asked us to come back before 5pm to confirm it. So we went on a walk around the town that took us through Kuirau Park and around all the interesting buildings in the town.


Lake in Kuirau Park


Lake in Kuirau Park

We arrived at a church and a Maori building by the water front. We took a walk around the church and took several photos.


A Maori Building


Maori Structure


Church

Then followed the water front until we reached the government gardens.


Lake Rotorua


3 Black Swans


Enrance to Goverment Gardens


Lake in Government Gardens


Museum of Art and History


Museum of Art and History

We walked through the gardens and came across a golf centre with a 9 hole course, driving range and 18 hole mini golf. We were going to play the 9 hole course but had to be back at the travel agents by 5pm so decided to have a go on the driving range. 120 balls later and we walked back into town.


Me at the driving range

The Travel agent was unable to find any rooms for us so we went back to the hostel. We cooked and spent the evening chatting to an English girl and some German guys.