Taupo, North Island
Trip Start
Dec 08, 2007
1
38
133
Trip End
Aug 14, 2008
Taupo, New Zealand,
New Zealand
Saturday, February 23, 2008
We visited the Aratiatia Dam which holds back the huge Waikato river above the Aratiatia rapids. They release the river four times a day for half an hour so when we arrived the dam was open and just about to close so we saw the rapids and then watched them disappear.
Next morning we came back to see the river at its driest, as they release no water throughout the night, and to see the first opening. It was good to see the water come down the river slowly creating the rapids again (see pictures). Then we went on a boat cruise up the river to see the Huka Falls. That afternoon we went walking up the river and crossed at Huka Falls to go and see craters of the Moon, another geothermal area with craters and steaming fumaroles only created since the 1950's. The walk was only supposed to take three hours but was more like 5.
That night we had a Thai meal (in a restaurant!) and a few drinks to celebrate Angela's birthday.
Comments
Cement Boots
I would love to throw Virgil in the Aratiatia Dam wearing the above item.