Taupo to Ohakune to Wellington

Sorry we haven’t posted in a few days, but we have been very busy exploring New Zealand’s North Island with our group on Intrepid Tours.  Overall, it’s a nice company to tour with.  We have seen attractions and sites we would have never known to visit; we have learned so much about the culture and history of the area; we haven’t had to drive, and we haven’t had to be concerned with lodging.  BUT, neither can we say STOP when we need a break! 

Thus, we have been too busy (and tired!) to write much, so today, as we have a day of rest, we will try to catch up. 

On January 8th, we said goodbye to Rotorua and drove on to Taupo, sitting on the shores of Lake Taupo – the largest lake in New Zealand. It is a caldera that is filled with water.  The explosion that created the caldera was several times larger than the 1883 Krakatau (Krakatoa) eruption in Indonesia.  The lake is roughly 22 miles wide.  Our room was right on the lake, allowing us to enjoy the sunset and sunrise.

On the way to Toupo, we visited Waiotapu Thermal Wonderland, where we walked through thousands of years of geothermal history and volcanic features, including New Zealand\’s largest mud pool and bubbling basins bursting with vibrant colors.  The mud was boiling hot and resembled a pot of boiling oatmeal with slow, burpy bubbles.  No one was interested in Mark’s offer of 10 dollars to stick their toe in the mud.

When we first heard about mud pools, Margo thought, “Nice.  Nicole mentioned how invigorating the mud baths were.”  But then we learned that the temperature varies from about 140 – 175 degrees Fahrenheit in the pools and can reach boiling (100c) in the streams.  Perhaps Nicole was talking about different mud baths.

At the Waiotapu geothermal, acid waters attack and dissolve adjoining ground to digest many minerals in the rock, forming viscous mud pools.  The geothermal features at this location are approximately 50 yards across. 

The Waiotapu geothermal system is several thousand years old.  It was significantly impacted about 650 years ago when Mt. Tarawera erupted.  Many hydrothermal eruptions were triggered in the Waiotapu area at that time.

The following day, we loaded the bus at 8:30 am and drove around the lake to Turangi, where we picked up some lunch at the bakery to take with us.  We traveled on to Tongariro National Park for the Taranaki Falls walk.  It was about a three-hour walk of “easy-intermediate terrain” on a reasonably well-maintained track.  Mark wisely chose to forego the walk and waited at the visitor center.  It was a long, beautiful walk. 

We stopped at Taranaki Falls, an impressive 70-foot cascade tumbling over volcanic cliffs, to eat our lunch and spend time absorbing the beauty of the area.

A group text message at 1:17 pm said, “We’re all at the visitors’ center except Margo, Linda, and Mary Kay.  Linda and Mary Kay are waiting for Margo.” Yes, Margo was slow but sure.  The last 20 minutes were tough, but she met the challenge.

We stayed the night in Ohakune at the Powderhorn Chateau.  It was billed as a Feature Stay, but it was underwhelming.  All wood floors, walls, and ceilings with little to no soundproofing.  Most of us would have preferred to drive on to Wellington so we would have more time to visit the city.  The chateau did have stunning views of the surrounding mountains.

The next day, we drove three and one-half hours to Wellington, which is the capital city of New Zealand. The hotel where we stayed, The QT Museum Hotel Wellington is both an art museum and a hotel.  It features an eclectic collection of New Zealand art. We would both have been happy to take nearly all of the pieces home with us!  There were so many beautiful pieces of art that there was little spacing between them.  What a joy seeing the art.

After settling in our rooms and resting for a bit, we joined the group for an evening sail on Wellington Harbour.  The weather was perfect as we embarked on a 42-foot catamaran for a one-hour sail.  The only disappointment was that the hour seemed to pass in 15 minutes!  It was beautiful, relaxing, and absolutely lovely.  Mark even managed to let the captain be the captain without trying to tell him how to manage the sails.  However, he pointed out to a few of our companions that the sails were not set properly.

We departed Wellington for a flight to Christchurch on the South Island on Thursday morning.  We were initially scheduled to take the ferry across, but the tour company decided the ferry had become “too unreliable”; thus, we boarded a plane to continue our journey.

Our experience at the Wellington airport was quite an adventure. Margo was waiting at the gate area while Mark wandered the airport to find something to eat.  While she is waiting there, her phone rings.

 “Where are you?” Mark asks.

 “I’m at Gate 8.  Where are you?”

“No, you’re not,” Mark says.  “I’m at Gate 8, and nobody is here.” As Margo tries to confirm whether he is at the area for Gates 5 – 12, New Zealand Air, Mark adamantly confirms that is where he is.

 It turns out that Mark has walked past the gate where an agent would check your ticket, down the boarding ramp to where you walk out the door to go onto the tarmac.  Nobody had checked a ticket, and nobody noticed this person was in a presumably secure area.

Finally, an airline employee heard him talking on the phone and came in to explain to him that he wasn’t supposed to be there.

 “Can’t I just wait here?” Mark implores.

 No, the employee says.  You aren’t supposed to be here.

 Traveling with Mark is always a treat!

The plane was a smallish twin turboprop with wings that did not flex in turbulence.  It was one of the bumpiest rides either of us have experienced. 

Our next post will be about the beautiful South Island adventures.