Taupo, Rotorua and finally Auckland

Two nights in Taupo followed Wellington after a five hour drive.

The town of Taupo sits on a lake by the same name which is the largest in NZ. The accommodation we had there was lovely and spacious and the owners were great, leaving us milk, crumpets and easter eggs for our arrival. The place had an indoor sauna and could have coped with a good sized family. The town itself though is not the prettiest. Its fairly large but over commercialised, however, the Lake and surrounding area made the stopover well worthwhile. Our one full day was spent on a walk from the Huka Falls along the Waikato River (the largest in NZ), to the Aratiatia Rapids. This was a five hour return trek along a decent walk and cycle track with great views along the way. Below, the first picture is Huka Falls, the second is the rapids at the end of the walk.

As we left Taupo for the drive to Auckland we decided to stop at a place called Rotorua on the way. The area is rich in Maori history and even today the population has a strong Maori emphasis. Te Puia is the sight of a historical Maori settlement and also NZ's most famous hot volcanic springs and geysers. You pay an entry fee in a slightly 'Disney' type entrance environment and attend a Maori welcome ceremony and rendition of the Haka. In fairness, the latter was good but a walk round the springs, geysers and mud pools was perhaps more impressive. The air is full of sulphur smells and the heat from the rocks is obvious. It honestly felt that you were on another planet.

From Te Puia we had another 3 hours to Auckland and landed at a privately run hotel which is very quirky, very friendly and perfectly placed for the 2 final NZ days of exploration! Sadly for Maggie, no touring rugby team but hey you can't have everything!