Chateau Tongariro
At the front of Whakapapa Village, the tourist base for ascending Mt.Ruapehu, is this splendid building. Complete with snooty staff (not all) and over priced restaurent(at which we ate, getting on our glad-rags and avoiding the glares). This is an amazingly placed hotel. With a view of Mt.Ngauruhoe out of the bar window and Mt.Ruapehu, an active volcano out back, it is I am sure a great place to stay. Looks a bit 'Shining' like but you won't be alone as many people spend time in the village as they get to the top of Mt.Ruapehu (2,797m) and see the world's most active Crater lake. Most of ascending is done on a ski chair lift, as the area has many popular Ski fields.
The Polynesian Maori reached New Zealand in about A.D. 800. In 1840, their chieftains entered into a compact with Britain, the Treaty of Waitangi, in which they ceded sovereignty to Queen Victoria while retaining territorial rights. In that same year... ... read more 
