Phew! A respite!

Rotorua was a respite point for us. we were sort of tired of sight seeing and needed some down time. We found it here.

This was the hidden treasure. Meeting locals who had invested so much time into the Hamurana Lodge. Fred met us as we pulled in, offered us a glass of wine and shared the story of the lodge. We dined at their place and generally, they just made every arrangement we needed. Fred was the organizer; Alex, the environmentalist. He had the sheep and the organic garden. Fred knew all about the redwood forest and the Tiua...more to come on that one. Equal but complimentary partners in this business of theirs and they had a black lab. What's not to like about that!

They set us up with a dinner and show at the local Maori village. It was fun to learn about the Maori culture and lifestyle. Funny as it was, we sat with a young couple from Sweden. I wish I had taken their picture. There were so many young people traveling the world. They were mostly European.

Taupo on the Lake

We found Talpo with a bit of difficulty but enjoyed it immensely. Laid back but full of street art, I had fun with my camera.

Huka Falls was one of Taupo's claims to fame and so we just had to see it for ourselves. The Waikato River, which is generally 300 feet wide, is forced through a 50 foot chasm, which creates a ranging falls. In addition to producing hydroelectric power, the falls produces a boatload of fun as you can see.

A Walk Among Giants

A walk along Marine Parade Road was enjoyable. First because it was filled with outdoor art but especially because the best art was the ocean, lapping at the shore. Our destination was the Aquarium. These are most interesting when you are in a different hemisphere and continent. True to thought, it was filled with things we had never seen, including a dark area where nocturnal kiwi birds could be seen. It was state of the art and just generally an enjoyable museum.

Walking back along the shore, we discovered the Millennium sculpture. This is a simple disk on a curved bar that depicted where the sun broke the horizon on the first day of a new millennium. I loved it for all the reflection is contained.

And last, I continued my love affair with the Norfolk Island pines that were in abundance on this walk.