The Loft Taupo

... and nothing in America compares.


So here we are - our final resting spot for the next few months.
That's exactly what the jet lag doctor ordered....REST. We made it and relatively unscathed. Kids did amazingly well. But now a little rest for SB & I and we will be on track - hope for a few good nights for the kids.

Now the fun begins.......will keep you all posted!

... parkingu dla saneczek - Kirsty przysiega ze ostro rypnalem glowa w barierke - ale ja tego nie pamietam z powodu zaklopotania i smiechu dookola - cale szczescie mielismy kaski). Tak przy okazji notka do Romka - tym razem pamietalismy zeby sposcic barierke zabezpieczajaca na wyciagu krzeselkowym ;)

Po tych przygodach pojechalismy na wieczor to Thames, skad mielismy zaczac nasza dwudniowa wycieczke w gory (patrz nastepny blog).

pozdrowienia

Lesze k i Kirsty

Our next destiantion was Taupo. The home of the Tongarro crossing, which is voted one of the top one day walks in the world. We were really unlucky with the weather though, and it was unfortunately closed whilst we were there.

We spent two days relaxing. The town didn't really have a lot to offer. We ...

... past Hot Springs park, which is all disgustingly beautiful grassy slopes overlooking the Huka river. Huge conifers block any view of the city and there are a couple of strategically placed benches. It seems like a place to fall in love. The Huka river is the wildest colors, emerald green and deep blue and turquoise (!), and somehow still clear enough to see the undercliffs. Further on we step into a less manicured area with the typical everchanging jungle/forest/plains New Zealand ...

... bath. As the river feeds into the lake the water cools giving way to cold currents. It's refreshing to alternate between the hot and cold. With wrinked fingers and pink skin we decide to get out. All the heat makes us feel dizzy and we take a final cold dip in the lake. Invigorated we make our way back to the hostel to prepare for tomorrow's dubious one-day Tongariro Apline Crossing.

... that is until he cast his fly into a tree and lost it I got some some good pictures until the camera decided it wanted to start playing up - I reckon i might need to buy a new one in wellington tomorrow - i'm not going the whole trip with a dodgy camera tonight is going to be a quiet night just a few quiet beers on the deck of the hoastel as i have a 7.50 start tomorrow down to wellington

... I was given only to discover that the road signs were not in the order that I expected so ended up going the wrong way. Fortunately the worst that happened was that instead of bypassing Hamilton, I drove through it. Once again a town in New Zealand brought back memories of Harare in better days. The drive down was fine, despite the multitude of roadworks - I did get some very strange looks as people passed me as I was ...

... similar to a car inner tube and practice sitting in it and jumping backwards off a ledge into water. Finally we walk to the gully, slither down into a small hole and stumble our way down to a stream with our two guides. Sometimes we walk, sometimes we lie prone on our tubes and and sometime we sit in them and float. In some parts, there is very little clearance. At times we pick our way across rocks with water up to our ankles, on other occasions we have to wade through ...

... scenery was also beautiful along this river, but you didn't get too much chance to look at it. When we hit the big waterfall, we only just stayed in the raft. We ended up being completely vertical going down, then the water flipped us up and we were completely vertical facing the other way up!! (See the photo's, they're amazing). I'm not sure how we stayed in, but we did nearly lose our instructor off the ...

... night's accomodation for 2 people over here.

So we went to get some lunch instead, and by the time we'd finished it was time for the 3pm show. Again it was still pelting down, so we decided to skip it, and head off to Lake Taupo, 2 hours further south.

We stopped at a really cool waterfall ...