5 boats in 5 days

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Kia ora,

So after the long train journey we made it to National Park Tongariro. Oddly the train stopped for half an hour lunch break even though there was a buffet car? All became clear though when we stopped not long after in the middle of no where and the driver changed with the South bound train to go back to Wellington. That's Kiwi logic for you!!

Our youth hostel then provided a few surprises with amassive climbing wall and a rather useful patio door in our room.

Next day we set off to do the 19.4 km Tongariro crossing (those of you who have done it they have extended it by 2 kn if you think i've got the distance wrong!) The weather was poor to say the least and bloody windy up on the top on the Red cone. Not sure if it was Jo or Cheryl or both but you were right about the descent being rather slippy in all the loose shale etc. Needless to say we put our heads down and whizzed round finishing 2 hours early for the bus but just glad to be in the better sunnier weather at ground level.

The next day we braved another very grey morning to go snowboarding on the volcano Mt Ruapehu - only to be surprised by glorious sunshine above the cloud line and very good day on the hill!!

We decided that the next day would prob be best not to push our luck and so started our boating marathon

1) white water rafting. Fantastic trip especially as phil and i were the only 2 people on the trip so we got the guide and the boat all to ourselves.

After some fiasco with sorting out how to get there we managed to land in Taupo just round the lake and went
2) hukka falls jet boat. Whizzing around at high speed on the very shallow river was fantastic.


We decided to be more sedate the next day and so we went on
3) Barbay yacht. Once owned by Errol Flynn and wooden sailing yacht trip out on lake Taupo to see the maouri carvings. Phil got to pilot for a bit on the way back as we came to shore with the sails up and the wind at our backs.

We then tripped up to the lovely but smelly town of Rotorua. As you all know my love of eggs the sulphur smell here has made me gip on a few occasions so far.
4) duck boat trip. Round the town and onto a few lakes out of town - totally childish but great fun. Of course we got plastic duck beak whistles that make duck quacking noises which was only a little annoying in phils hands as you can imagine!!!

So onto today
5) breakfast on the Lakeland queen a true paddle steamer. around lake rotorua.
And so our boat adventures were complete so we thought we'd take a little relaxing time to ourselves and visit the spa.
The geothermal pools are very interesting but it was really the mud bath and massages that we were after. Sadly for you ladies i don't have any pictures to put on here of phil covered in volcanic mud but i'm sure you can image it for yourselves !!!!

F and P xx

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Comments

[Joff]

Errol Flynn
No way - I went on Errol Flynn's yacht when I was in Taupo! They were all a similar price so it was the Errol Flynn factor which clinched it for us. Looks like you're having a great time. Are you sure Phil wasn't responsible for some of the eggy smells in Rotorua?

[Cheryl]

Fantastic
Hey honnies - it all looks so fantastic! Yes - that downward slope with all the shale was a nightmare. That was where Kev went A over T trying to show me how to do it fast instead of hobbling down like a retard! But at least I still had skin on my shins! There can't be that much left to see now. I think you will be able to say -'We have DONE New Zealand' by the time you get home! Can't wait for the next blog. Love - Cheryl xxxxx