Tongariro NationalPark

 

We set off early today from Rotorua heading south to Wai-O-Tapu Thermal Reserve. It was a very eerie landscape with frothing mud and hissing geysers that spurt out hot boiling water. The name means 'sacred waters' in English but I'm not at all sure! Apparently it is one of the best places to observe a natural volcanic environment in NZ and in it's own way quite fascinating.

From there we moved on to Lake Taupo, the biggest volcanic, crater in the Southern Hemisphere. Set amidst green countryside and spectacular scenery. There is thermal activity all over this region and to steam pouring out of the mountainsides was quite unforgettable.

Then we had a lovely drive through NZ's oldest national park., Tongariro. It is a place of extremes and surprises, a place to remember covered in forests and active volcanoes (hopefully not too active!)

When we approached our hotel for the night it took my breath away. Nestled at the base of three active volcanoes it looks quite majestic. It is like stepping back into the 1930s, elegant and luxurious.

Tomorrow we set off for Napier, in the centre of the Hawke's Bay Region, an Art Deco City which was rebuilt in the 1930s following a massive earthquake.

Loving this country, so clean and safe, and such a stunning landscape everywhere I look.