Taupo Area

After driving through the rolling farmland from Napier to Taupo we had a great hike to Huka Falls.  

However, the highlight of the last couple of days was the geothermic features. Craters of the Moon was our first introduction to geothermic activity in the Taupo area. It sits adjacent to the world's first Geothermic Power Station built in 1958. 

Rob and I are in the habit, when cooking in the communal kitchens, of asking fellow travellers and locals what sites are must sees. Rob met Karen from Wellington in Martinborough, who coincidentally is married to a University of Waterloo grad, and she said we must go to Orakei Korako. Orakei Korako is off the beaten track and not as popular as many other geothermal tourist attractions so we decided to go. In order to get close to the geysers and silica terraces we had to first take a short ferry ride over the lake. Once there we followed the boardwalk system and read the plaques explaining the history of each feature. We were amazed and captivated. It was spectacular and we spent most of the afternoon there.  We came away feeling very peaceful. 

In order to see the real impact of the photos, click to enlarge them.