Taupo to Wellington

31 December, 2010

    The day started off with the fire alarm in the hotel going off quite early.  At first, we weren't sure if we should ignore it or not.  But when it didn't stop, we pulled ourselves together and hurried out.  There was no smoke or flames to be seen, so we were pretty sure that it was a false alarm.  The fire department showed up pretty quickly and the guests all waited on the grass or in their cars while they checked things out.  After about 20 minutes, we were told that it was indeed a false alarm and were allowed back into our rooms.
    We went to McDonald's for breakfast where we enjoyed items from the McCafe menu.  Our coffees, smoothies, and pastries arrived on real dishware.  We enjoyed it a lot!  That particular McDonald's also had a large Maori carving on the wall that was very detailed and beautiful.  I can't imagine seeing anything like it in a McDonald's in the States!

Breakfast in Rotorua... in McDonalds!

Check out the Maori carvings

    Our first stop on our way to Wanganaui was Orakei Korake thermal area.  We wanted to see the lake and guyser there.  Along the way, we passed so many beautiful sights that we had to stop several times to take pictures.

Road to Taupo








Once we arrived, we parked along the lake and started to take pictures of the blue water, beautiful green lillypads, and the rock across the lake where the ferry lands to take people to see the guyser.  The price to take a ferry to the other side and do just that: NZ$36 per person.  Then you had to walk for 1 to 1 1/2 hours to get there.  So we decided to get some postcards and head on our way.

Wairakei

Dugout canoe

    The next stop was Huka falls, a place renowned for its aqua blue water and beautiful falls.

Continuing on towards Huka Falls



    We first spotted it from a scenic overlook where we pulled over.  From there we could see quite a bit of the river before and after the falls.  We could also see the jet boat taking people on rides at top speeds, close to the falls, and then back down the river.  We were glad that we did not pay top price to do that since the time spent seeing the falls from the boat was only a few seconds.

Huka Falls

Great old car, nicely restored

Then we got back in the car and attempted to find the falls, assuming if we followed the signs for the jet boat, we would be close.  We did find where the jet boats were loading and a shrimp farm, as well.  But this was nowhere near the falls.  Eventually, we found the right road.  By then, the sun was out and very direct and hot.  We were able to park for free and walk a short distance to see the falls.  First, we crossed a bridge over the river where we could see the beautiful color of the water.  Then we were able to walk down to the falls. 
     The water crested a beautiful foamy white as it flowed over the top down to lower level of the river.  We enjoyed taking a lot of pictures.
    On our way back to our car, we spotted an old car nicely restored.  We were soon on our way to get some lunch.  We found an advertisement for the Huka Falls Restaurant that was near by.  We called for directions and then found our way there.  The restaurant was situated in a vineyard with a large terrace and umbrellas for al fresco dining.  The air was wonderful, but the sun was so direct, we almost went inside to sit.  We enjoyed our food and the scenery.  Then it was time to press on.


Huka Falls Restaurant





    The next stop was Taupo which sits on a large lake of the same name.  We only stopped to admire the lake and take pictures.  There were parasailers and swimmers and swans all enjoying the same area!  Mom decided to test the water by putting her feet in.  I touched the water, too and found it to be fairly cold.  The swimmers didn't seem to mind.

Taupo

Swimming with swans

    As we continued on, the road led around the east edge of the lake.  We came to a beautiful scenic overlook where we stopped to take photos and enjoy the view.  The panorama was wonderful.  We could see large hills jutting out of the ground, looking like gum drops.  A river flowed around the hills.  I wished I had a panoramic camera to capture it.  Instead I took a short video.  Soon a sedan with a bunch of guys who dressed like Rastifarians pulled up and rolled down their windows so we could all hear their regae music.  They were smoking a hand-rolled cigarette between them which we all wondered if it was pot.  So we got back on the road to Wanganui.

Road to Wanganaui

"Panoramic view" stitched

Wanganaui

We arrived there in the early evening.  The city has both a river and a seaside which gave it different look from the other places we had visited.  We parked in the city and walked around, looking for a restaurant that was open, since it was New Years Eve.  The streets were very "small town" type of streets that have a somewhat English look to them.

City sites





After a lot of walking, we decided to eat at a place called "Stellar."  Being New Year's Eve, they were preparing for a party.  The restaurant was cozy and contemporary.  We ordered specialty pizzas which I enjoyed more than Mom and Papa.  The waitresses appeared to be starting the party, judging by her breath, by the time we finished.

Supper at "Stellar"



    Next we drove to our hotel and settled in for the evening.  We decided to try to find the Adventist church in the morning.

01 December 2011,
    Another day starts at McDonald's!  Happy New Year!  Mom
and I were awake fairly early and decided to look for the Adventist church only to discover it was just around the corner from the hotel!  Papa got up and we went to breakfast before he dropped us off at the church and went back to the hotel to pack up and check out.
    We arrived in time from Sabbath School and met a small group gathered at the back for the lesson study.  We made friends with a nice lady sitting beside us.  When church started, Papa joined us.  
By then there were about 30 people there.  The speaker was a seminary student studying at Avondale in Australia.  At the end of the service, we chatted briefly with our new friend who answered questions about the weather, the Maori people, travel, and how to pronounce the city's name and then started our drive.
    Before leaving Wanganui, we drove by the beach.  This beach is on the Tasman Sea and has black sand, just like the beach near Auckland.  It was very windy and sunny.  The air was cold and there were very few people on the beach.

Next Day

The beach

    We continued on to Wellington, enjoying beautiful scenery on the way.

Road to Wellington








Wellington

    Once we arrived, we got lost in the city right away!  We tried to call restaurants in our guide books to get directions to them, but every one we called was closed for the holiday!  Eventually we found our way to Queen's Wharf where there were several restaurants open. We looked at several menus before choosing an Italian restaurant called "Portofino."  They had a good-sized menu and a contemporary atmosphere with large windows out to the wharf.  While waiting on our food, we could see the same ferry we were to take the next day pull up to the dock!  I enjoyed ravioli and Mom and I shared a Tirimasu.

Lunch at Portofino's

Great view from our table

    After dinner, we made our way, with lots of wrong turns, to our hotel.  We relaxed in our room for the rest of the evening before going to bed.

City sites