Taupo, Wellington, Nelson, and Richmond, NZ (December 22-23, 2011)

Thursday, December 22, 2011
We woke up with a long drive ahead of us to Wellington. We went along Lake Taupo for a gorgeous scenic lake drive.





Next up, we drove through the Tongariro National Park (World Heritage Site) looking for wild kiwis.


Today was all about the drive, and it was something. We were able to get a great view of Mount Ruapehu from a distance.





We stopped at Ohakune at a cafe called Utopia for lunch, and then we drove the long mountain road up to Mount Ruapehu and the Mangawhero Falls.


Ruapehu is actually a semi-active volcano and is used in the winter here as a ski lodge. The views were majestic. The road was scary.








The secondary battery of our Spaceship has stopped working. No more fridge for us. Not happy about that one, but we don't know what to do about it. There isn't a Spacestation nearby to help us.

We made it to our hotel, the Novotel Wellington, and had to valet park. Then we walked along down to the waterfront and explored the city. They have some great parks here in New Zealand. They also have a lot of public half pipes.





We ate dinner at Wagamama before going back to the hotel for the evening.


Friday, December 23, 2011
The morning came early, as we had to catch the Interislander Ferry today.


The hotel valet left us a note about our car. (Rather uncalled for, eh?)


We paid extra for the lounge so we could have internet, breakfast, cushy seating, and unlimited beverages for the four hour crossing. After seeing how crowded the ferry was, I was really glad we paid extra for the lounge.


Breakfast was eggs, bacon, corncakes (made hash browns style), and toast. There were many beverage choices from juice, tea, coffee, milk, or soda, and later scones were offered.

We also had wifi, so we could post photos/blog posts.

After arriving in Picton, we headed on the the Queen Charlotte Drive. So picturesque!





When we got to Nelson, we went to the World of Wearable Art & Classic Cars. What a fascinating place! They had some really awesome old cars - like a DeLorean, and the wearable art outfits were outstanding or scary. Good fun!














We're off to Richmond Top 10 Holiday Park tonight. I can't believe we are in the South Island already! We aren't allowed to drink the water, and soda is so very expensive!








I am not a fan of this holiday park. It was clean, but the check in was rather curt. The lots are quite close together and the park seems very industrialized. There were a few of the typical kitchen amenities, and several nice bathroom showers with a hairdryer. There was also a tv room and small pool. There weren't amusements for children though, so they swarmed the tv room and played through the campsite. While trying to sleep, our neighbors decided to have a really loud meal. They were speaking really loudly to each other in Farsi. With the recent storms in Nelson, the water still hasn't been cleared to use. We had to boil all of our water for at least a minute before use. (Not the campsite's fault, but still a downer.) Considering this was one of our most expensive stays, I was rather disappointed in the park.



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Lions, geysers, and zorbing in Rotorua, NZ (December 21, 2011)

Wednesday, December 21, 2011
Rotorua is a geothermal hotbed of activity. In some places, it really appears that the town is on fire.


Our first stop was Wai-o-Tapu Thermal Wonderland to see the erupting Lady Knox geyser, craters, pools, boiling mud pools and other geothermic activity.





Devil's Pool and other areas of this park were beyond fascinating, and, as strange as it sounds, I thought the boiling mud to be oddly pretty. The area surely did stink though.





Next on the agenda was Zorbing at OGO Rotorua (the original creators of the zorb). Kris and I did the H20go together. Thanks to our combined weight, we picked up massive speed. The Jason's Rotorua black guidebook had a coupon for the photos and video for $10 NZD, and I took my waterproof camera inside the bubble. The other Spaceship driver we had met in the Bay of Islands had recommended them over the other company.




















Like a true local, we decided to have lunch at a mall food court. At the Rotorua Mall, you don't clean off your own trays from the tables. They employ people to do that and to clean the tables.

The nice Dutch gentleman we met in the Bay of Islands recommended going to Paradise Valley Springs Wildlife Park, so we listened.


At the park, we got to pet two baby lion cubs, feed and pet wallabies, walk through lovely forested areas, drink from a stream where they actually bottle water, see spotted trout, and enjoy other wildlife.


















































Butcher's Pool was our next impromptu location. When we pulled up we thought it was just a small community swimming pool, but it wasn't. It was a pool filled naturally with warm, geothermal water. You could see the water bubbling from within, and it was really quite warm. If it were cleaned, it would be a great place to go swimming.








After leaving Butcher's Pool, we made it just in time to Aratiatia Rapids to see the waterfall before and after the dam release. After the operators release the dam water, water flows down the waterfall at up to 90,000 litres per second. (Make sure to look at the before and after shots below!)





Huka Falls was next up on the agenda. This is a very impressive waterfall, and it has incredibly clear, blue, pretty water. The current at the bottom has been known to absorb those who ignore warning and try to conquer this waterfall.


Our stay this evening was at the Lake Taupo Top 10 Holiday Resort. This holiday park was huge. They give you a gate code you have to enter going in and out of the facility, and they have a lot of things for children to do. They have a mini store with food, soap, and etc. to purchase if you had forgotten anything. We got spaghetti sauce and paid $10 for 500 mb of Internet. The campgrounds had a block of gender neutral showers with free hot water and a bench, basket, and hook. The ladies and men's restrooms had hairdryers for use. We used the laundry facility ($4 for wash and soap and $3 for dry) and jumped on the impressive jumping pillow...the largest in New Zealand.





There was a basketball court, bocce area, playground, pool, and probably more that I am forgetting. The kitchen had a massive toaster, several burners, and a grill. The park also had an herb garden for guest use. We were able to pick and add fresh basil to our pasta.


The spots were well sized, and, while the park was quite full, we didn't feel cramped. Wifi reception was spotty...sometimes you win some, sometimes you lose some. Regardless, Kris did some posting to Facebook.





Our neighbors were in a neat VW I had to take this just for Marlene.


Here we are setting up the Spaceship...

















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