Getting Geothermal!
Taupo,
North Island,
New Zealand
Wednesday, May 7, 2008
After a stunning and informative bus journey North which included driving through Taihape - the gumboot thowing capital of the world, we reached our destination Taupo! This is where the hot rivers and the tongoriro crossing (the best walk in the world or somthing) is!
We had been reccomended by Camilla to go and see the huka falls, so off we trudged. The walk passed the hot river so we decided we would sooth our muscles in that on the way back! We made it there and although it was very blue (as described) we didn't think it looked very waterfally - more like long rapids.....we later found out that they were rapids and wern't the Huka falls!! On our way back to the hot river it started to rain...and rain....and rain and by the time we got to our bathing spot our jeans were so wet we knew even if we managed to get them off we'd never get them back on again, so we had to give up for the day!
We thought we had better do this Tongorriro crossing whilst we were there too, which takes you over a volcano....only problem was it was shut due to bad weather! So i'm not really sure what on earth we did for the rest of our time here other than read, wonder about, eat, oh and we went to see the opening celebrations of Erupt - the festival that was on whilst we were there! It had a Wahine (the dance of the Maori women), somthing about numbers and fitness for kids, some hip hop dancing and some very flexible people with sparklers - which all would have been great had we been able to see any of it! Lukily there was a good drumming and fireworks to make up for it!!
Anyway we decided we'd done enough hanging about in the rain so we left Taupo to head for Rotoroua.....in brilliant sunshine!!
