Lakeside

We had stuff to sort out this morning, so we traversed the electricity stores of Rotorua looking for cigerette lighter power adapters to charge gadgets on the go...luckily, we found one! Now we just need to keep the car...
We were going to head to Whakarewarewa for some Maori cultural interaction, but we decided to delay that until its warmer, on the basis that we just could not take the smell of Rotorua any longer.
Instead, we headed out for Taupo.
One of the Maori myths goes along the basis that the son of the Earth and Sky, upon pushing his parents apart to create the world, floated along in his canoe on the water. He caught a giagantic fish. The South Island is his canoe, the North is the fish. Lake Taupo is meant to be the heart of the fish.

We are currently pulled up alongside this lake, at another of these free parking areas for vans. We have a view right out over the lake, complete with friendly ducks who have been following Alex about like devoted disciples. While I relax next to the lake, after my tasty (if cold, due to gas running out as meal was cooking...) dinner of pasta, tomato sauce and vege sausages (Yes! They have them here too! Not Quorn though, these ones are not so yum. In fact, kind of grim. Alex reckons they are pretty near identical to real sausages though. Called VegeDelight, which should have been suspicious from the start), I shall tell you about our journey.
Up hill and down dale yet again, we passed through a landscape of very high, very oddly shaped mountains, some even with snow glistening on the top. We diverted whenever the fancy took us. As such, we visited the Waikite Hot Pools.
These were brilliant. Six pools, public access, all of varying temperatures from 30 degrees to 46. Heaven. We soaked in the heat and looked around at the surrounding mountains and rainforest. Its a good life.
We also, bizarrely, met an alumnus from Kent Uni, circa 20 years ago! After a while reminiescing and comparing destinations, we sang a short round of 'Its a small world after all' and continued our merry way around the pools.
Continuing our journey down to Taupo, we were driving through dense fir forests when, wonder of wonders, we passed a field containing not one, but two alpacas! One caramel coloured, the other creamy, they responded to our whistles and pranced about for us a bit.
At another stop, we discovered more information than we ever thought existed about bees (thereby arming me with the credentials to back up my 'beekeeper' status should it become necessary...) and tasted about 10 different types of honey. Alex was going to move onto tasting the meads, but the place was closing for the night, so we figured we should get on. We purchased some Manuka and Burbage honey and hit the road again, reaching Taupo around 5.30.
We found the spot recommended by our fellow campers from yesterday and made friends with the new ones next to us here. Now for a spot of planning for tomorrow.

We have sorted and selected a few photos to put on FLickr - when we went to add more yesterday, *shock, horror* but we had exceeded the monthly upload already (three days in) and we had already filled half the account. So we are re-sorting for a bit of a Spring clean, as it were. Fitting, considering every other field contains lambs and calves, the ponds are full of ducklings and the ground is covered in bluebells and tulips. It is a little bizarre to be going into Spring instead of Autumn, but as such, the temperature has not yet differed from that we would be experiencing back home.

Please comment, we'd love to hear from you!

Pools
Bees