To Taupo and beyond.......

On route from rotorua to Lake Taupo we spent the day walking in the Redwoods after bathing in the therapeutic waters of the Blue Baths. The healing powers of the Rotorua Blue Baths overcame me unfortunately and as I stepped out of the 40 degree bath after a 30 min (only 15 mins really, but I need to egg it up) stint, Sarah got out first and I tried to follow but my legs went from under me and I landed on my backside scrapping my elbows and bruising my ego. The very hot hot hot water must have made my blood pressure drop as I stood up ( bath temperature, he's just nesh) so I got light headed and toppled over. Sarah got a shock as she thought I was right behind her. She told me to stay still for a while until I felt better. Left big bum mark on the poolside. I wear my cuts with pride, marks of my heroic fall! I'm not invincible as I thought, my super power let me down, Sarah wasn't affected by the heat that must be her super power. (Guess who wrote this section?) no spelling mistakes, beers or largers.

After spending the day walking in the Redwoods we headed to Lake Taupo, stopping en route to visit the Lave Glass showroom, lovely things but very expensive at over $200 for a vase. As you can guess we didn't buy anything. Then made our way to Lake Taupo checking free campsites on the way, decided on one 30 km south of Taupo on the south shore, very peaceful with lapping waves for company and snow capped peaks for a backdrop. So nice we stayed there for 3 nights and drove into Taupo each day. We found a lovely quiet campsite of the Thermal Highway and decided to stay for 2 nights. On the second day Dave decided to skinny dip in the river for a wash, unfortunately that is when we got some visitors, a lady in a van and a local farmer. Bad timing or what. He still doesn't know if there is photographic evidence! We've now made our way through the Kire-Kire Forest to Napier via a crazy detour on a forestry gravel track, we only found out we were on the wrong route from a logger who stopped us and guided us back onto the correct route, thankfully as we were running out of fuel!

Lake Taupo from our camp spot

View of the three volcanos at the Tongorario park near Lake Taupo, we will be climbing up one of these in two months. 

Night over the van