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Lake Taupo
Entry 6 of 22 | show all | print this entry |
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Last night I spent in the top ten Holiday Park in Lake Taupo, which is about smack dab in the middle of New Zealand's North Island and also home to the largest volcanic eruption on earth. The town is gorgeous and sits right on the lake.
I stopped by the Huka Falls on my way down and drove around the small downtown to get a feel for what I could do while I was there. The downtown is rather compact and difficult for me, still getting used to driving on the left hand side of the road and having to drive a standard five speed, which is dumb in my opinion (all cars if you are renting should be automatic especially if you're from a foreign country). I've been honked at a few times and driven in the right hand side of the road without even realizing it until I notice another car coming in my direction.
The roads are all two lanes except for a few motorways outside Auckland and maybe a few other sizable cities. Driving the central country has been a breeze and not much traffic to be found, however, there is always some kind of re-paving going on out in the middle of now-where. I really didn't think I'd have that much trouble to adjusting to driving on the left hand side of the road, but it has been harder form me, alot harder to adjust than I had accounted for. Two other things have puzzled me with regards to driving in New Zealand, traffic circles (tons of them every-where), and one lane bridges (you have to yield to any on-coming traffic as only one car, a small car mind you, will fit on these bridges).
Well yesterday as I was driving into Lake Taupo, and after I found a powered site at the camper van park, I drove to Woolworth's down the way for groceries and laundry detergent. I parked my behemoth of a motor home on the side of the street and felt pretty comfortable because there were three or four other motor homes beside me. As I came out, I got into my camper van and preceded to back out of my parking space, which is at a diagonal. I looked over my left shoulder nothing and I looked in my side mirror and saw a car parked on the other side of the street, when bang!, I felt impact. I think I even heard a horn, but didn't mind it, cuz all the cars have these little wimpy beeps, being the cars are generally smaller here.
I thought oh shit, I hit somebody and I did (thankfully I signed up for the full insurance coverage at the camper van rental facility)! The guy was speechless and a tad pissed, but when I looked at his car I really didn't see anything. It wasn't until he tried to drive his car that I realized he a problem with his steering. He wouldn't even look at me or talk to me, which really surprised me. I know he felt like killing me, but hey accidents happen.
It wasn't until I got back to the motor park that I realized that I had damage too. Has this ruined my mood or frame of mind? No, not really, I am hear to enjoy myself;-) Do I feel horrible? Of course! The car park was really, really, nice, (nice shower facilities, internet, a grocery store, laundry, kitchen, pool) but the environment felt too city like for my liking. I mean, I am supposed to be camping right?
Well I didn't do any extreme sports or venturing out and to be honest I was a little worried about the consequences of my little accident even if it was minor damage. I headed south to Rangirirro Crossing and did a little hiking at Tawhai and Taranaki Falls and visited Whakapaka ski field to get a glimpse of a film location. The scenery was beautiful and the waterfalls gushing in their full glory.
I was able to do the one day hike of the Rangirirro Crossing because I didn't book transportation to and from the beginning and starting points so I took a little advice from Chris at the Waitomo Caves adventure and headed to the tallest bungy site in the North Island, Gravity Canyon. Gravity Canyon is kinda remote, but it was teaming with kids visiting from Palmerstown North, I swear I was the oldest guy there. I decided to the Fox flyer which has you going from the very top of the ledge and swings you like superman over the Rangiteki River. The first few seconds of the ride where buzzy (that's a bit of kiwi slang) then it kinda subsided. The views were amazing and the river below looked so inviting, I wanted to unhook myself and dive right in (there's a new adrenaline rush).
I really felt a bit awkward at being the only adult participating in any of the sports at gravity canyon. The kids were cool though, they even talked to me afterwards while my fox flying was being broadcast on the flatscreen tv and the girl even gave me a little break on the price of the dvd which was $25.00. The staff were friendly, but I got the feeling they were a bit over the whole adrenaline sports rush thing as it really does on last about a minute or too. I have a fifty dollar certificate I can use towards a future sport if I return within the yearI am glad I got a chance to it though, that's while I am here.
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