NZ2024 - Leg 25, March 20 - Ohakune to Rotorua

I was really looking forward to getting started early this morning so we had enough time to stop at a number of places along the way to Rotorua.  After some discussion, we opted to bypass a stop in Taupo, and after driving through it, were glad we had.  It was way too busy and too urban for our tastes.  

Breakfast at the LKNZ was very good - way too much food, but that was okay, it would keep me going most of the day.  While I was feeling very good about how healthy I was eating at the beginning of this trip, how little, and how much I was walking, it feels like I'm back to the old routine.  I have to keep reminding myself that I'm on vacation, in a country with fantastic food, and I just need to enjoy it while I can.

Ohakune is a fairly small town (reminded me of Hanmer Springs) that is situated on what is known as the Volcanic Loop - a series of roads that skirt around two volcanic mountains.  One of these was what we saw out of the window in our room, but we had no idea how beautiful it was till we started driving around it and could see it from different angles.

The first stop on the list was Whakapapa River Bridge, and at first it didn't seem all that special.  Certainly not the bridge itself.  But as I walked out on it, and looked upstream, it was obvious why this was a scenic spot - the mountain in the distance is - if you shoot it properly (which I did on the big camera I hope!) - right in the sights!  The light was such that trying to shoot this with a cellphone was not easy.

After this was Tawhai Falls - the place they filmed Gollum's Pool in LOTR.  This was one of the biggest reasons I wanted to come to this part of the North Island, and I was so glad we had.  The hike was about 20 minutes in (stopping to take photos along the way), and there were a fair number of stairs, but once we got to the bottom - wow!  So worth it.

  

  

The next stop on the list was Opotaka, the site of an historic Maori village from the early 1800's.  While that in itself was quite fascinating - and a beautiful area to walk around - the real draw for me was the lake with the volcanoes in the background.  I have fallen in love with these mountains, and was fascinated by the steam venting from the side of one of them.  Not possible to see from these cellphone shots, but am looking forward to processing the big camera shots when I get home.

  

After this was Mosquito Hill, an interesting lookout that had a ton of things going on to look at!  Where do you start?  Well, it seems I will have to stitch a number of shots together to get a full panorama, with the hill being surrounded by a river, and beyond that was Lake Taupo (I think) and past that were more hills.  

By this point, we were ready for another coffee and some fuel - for both us and the car - so we stopped in Turangi.  Is it just me, or does this seem like a lot of money for a lot of sugar?  

Not far out of Turangi, Waiotaka Scenic Reserve beckoned.  It was so nice to dip fingers and toes in the water, notice the sparkle in the sand, and find lots of "rocks" on the beach that weighed next to nothing and were very porous - like pummice stone.  It is probably volcanic stone, or rather ash, as it is quite light in colour.  So different from what we see at home.

Once we get past Taupo, with all it's busyness, Huka Falls was next on the list.  It was stunning.  Similar to Pancake Rocks on the west coast, however, there were many people there, and it had become almost unnatural.  There were bridges and fences - much like Niagara Falls back home, but not as big and not quite as commercial.  But simply gorgeous.  The rushing sound of water was thunderous, and the colour!  And the shape of the water, constantly changing as it rushed through the chute between the rock walls, and down over the rapids - the "falls" were not very high but incredibly powerful.

Finally, after filling our eyes and our spirits, it was agreed to continue on to Rotorua, where we had a room booked for the next - our last - couple of nights.  To finish the trip, we had opted for a Spa and Resort and were looking forward to some peace and quiet again to round out an incredible month.  Not sure what the plan is yet for tomorrow, but I'm quite sure it will be equally incredible.

  

After dinner in the restaurant at Wai Ora Day Spa and Resort, a walk along the beach to catch the sunset seemed in order.  Tomorrow will be our last full day.