Last days in Taupo - Saturday 11 - monday 13 feb

On the beach at lake Taupo

On the road

hugh on the chairlift at Whakapapa

Our last lunch with Sinead - at the Red Barn cafe outside Cambridge

Last supper at Oreti Hotel, Pukawa Lake Taupo

Hugh in a Taupo biscuit

On Saturday morning we headed down to Whakapapa village in the Tongariro National Park. This is one of the 2 main skiing sites on the North Island and being summertime, they use the cable cars and chairlifts for sightseeing instead of skiing. So we took 2 chairlifts up to the mountain top at over 1700m altitude over lunar-looking volcanic landscape - the rocks were red or black. We had a very nice lunch at the skyline restaurant with superb views. We arrived home where Matt prepared a smashing lamb chop barbeque for us. Sunday we had a quiet day with another lovely swim in the lake - although Nan and Rick played their 12th and last round of kiwi golf - for 20 euro each! We had our last meal of the holiday at the Oreti lakeside hotel and restaurant - what a magnificent setting watching the sun go down over lake Taupo. She wasnt there to enjoy it, but Sharon: thanks for that one (her birthday present to me!!). Finally, my lasting impressions of this vast gorgeous place is the huge variety of attractions, the open air facilities and most important of all the lovely, friendly and most helpful people you could wish to meet. Mind you, we had 10,000 earthquakes in NZ since september 2010 and we missed them all (or didnt feel any). I am writing this from Auckland airport (love the technology). Kia Ora my friends (goodbye in Maori) and see you soon, Martin and Norrie