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| We arrived in Taupo on Easter Saturday (10th
April) and stayed at Ambleside
B&B. Our hosts, Russ and Pat Jensen, were really nice.
The house had great views across the lake. |
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On Easter Sunday, we took a day trip to Rotorua,
the centre of all the geological activity of the North. |
We drove to the Huka Falls
and saw the jet boats dicing with death. |
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| Then on to the Aratiatia falls. They have been
made dry by a dam, but twice a day, the dam is opened and
the falls run again! |
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We saw many old cars in
New Zealand, but never as many at one time as we did at
the falls. |
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Then, at our hosts' recommendation,
we visited the Hidden Valley of Orakei Korako. It was amazing
- a large area with hot springs, geysers, boiling mud pools,
and other geological curiosities. We also smelt the noxious
gases pouring out of the ground. It is a fascinating phenomenon,
but we were very conscious that New Zealand might move,
blow up, or otherwise have a geological fit at any time.
It was one of the most interesting afternoons we had. Indeed,
when we finally got to Rotorua, we were so disappointed
by its crass commercialism, that we did not bother to see
the sights there. |
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There was a cave with a pool at the bottom where
you could make a wish. I wished for world peace...
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mud pool |
boiling water hole |
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| The next day, we drove round the lake and then
West for three hours, passing through Te Kuiti, the sheep-shearing
capital of the world, until we came to the world-famous(?)
Waitomo caves. Most were not very special, but then we got
into a boat and drifted in silence and complete darkness into
a glowworm cave. The roof was glittering with thousands of
tiny blue-green lights - it was beautiful and a little eerie.
We then turned North and drove on to Auckland. |
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