Windy Wellington to Taupo

Well this was one of the rainy days! Wellington is renowned for its wind, and it didn't disappoint. Our first point of call was Otari-Wilton's bush. This is one of the few remnants of untouched native bush in the area, and it was very pretty. Part of it was a manicured botanic garden, with lots of native plants on show in neat flower beds - a bit too tame for us. We headed off on one of the walks around the wilder parts of the reserve. It was a lovely place, though you still didn't get the sense of wildness you got in the forests of the South Island. We finished exploring the area, and then made the decision that the leaking motorhome was getting so bad that we should take it into the depot north of the city. This ate into our time - we only had one day to see the city!

After dropping the motorhome off at the depot to get the leaks fixed - where we got a courtesy car - we headed off into the city where, struggling to find somewhere to park, and secretly thankful we didn't have the motorhome, we found our way to a foodcourt for a quick spot of lunch. The main reason for coming into the city was for a bit of 'tack' shopping (holiday naff trinkets and souvenirs) and a ride on the cable car for good views. We found the cable-car, which was more like a tram being pulled up a hill, so not that impressive. The views from the top would have been lovely, I'm sure, were it not for the rain and the wind! We had a quick wander around the botanic gardens, found the silly human sundial (you are the prong to cast the shadow) before going back down to the car. Our next attempt at doing something in the rain was a visit to the Karori Wildlife Sanctuary. This was supposed to be beautiful, as they are restocking the Victorian reservoir with native species you don't get to see - or hear - elsewhere. Alas, we were running out of time and, as you had to pay, it was felt that this did not justify a visit when you wouldn't be able to hear the birds because of the endless rain. After a quick shop we headed back to the campsite.

The next day marked the beginning of the reminiscing by Mum to her old haunts. She originally lived in Napier, so we headed off for there. Most of this town was destroyed by an earthquake in the 1930s, so all the buildings are in the Art deco style - very picturesque. We soon found Mum's old house and had a quick explore of the town, whilst searching for a bottle of saline for my lenses of all things!

We had hoped to do some wine tasting the next day, as the Hawke's Bay region where Napier is situated is well known for this. We did feel that 9am was a bit early for this, so alas we passed the winetasting by. After an entertaining lunch stop in a layby with a marauding hissing duck (de-quacked!), we soon arrived at Taupo.

As we were ahead of time, we decided to do more of the attractions of the area. Taupo, next to Lake Taupo (the eruption crater of the largest volcano in the world, and the largest lake in NZ) is in the heart of the geothermal region. The first thermal area we visited was Orakei Korako Thermal Wonderland, which you get to via a boat trip across a dammed section of the Waikato river. It was certainly like the world of Skaro from Dr Who, with steam everywhere (I think these places are most atmospheric in winter - more steam!) and very smelly indeed! We were particularly amused by the naming of one feature - Diamond Geyser!

Once we had toured all the features, we paid a visit to the aw-inspiring Huka Falls. Though the Waikato only falls by 8m, the sheer volume of water - where this mighty river is squeezed into a narrow fissure - is breathtaking. There is simply nothing like it in the UK! That night we camped at Golden Springs, on our way to some more thermal areas which we would explore tomorrow. The campsite even had its own hot spring, and steam could be seen issuing from the side of the road, and between trees. A magical area indeed!