Yesterday’s events are brushed off. I have stopped being a baby. It is a new day, but again a rainy day. Will this rain ever let up? My plan is to head to the Waipoua Forest on route to Auckland. The Waipoua Forest is about 6,200 acres and densely populated with mature kauri trees, the largest stand of kauri left in the country. The largest kauri is here (about 2,000 years old) and nicknamed Tane Mahuta (Lord of the Forest). Unfortunately, the rain has flooded the entrance and my date with Tane Mahuta is left for another day.
The rain just keeps coming and is getting worse as I approach Auckland. The skyline in Auckland has disappeared. It is grey, dreary and uninviting. To that end, I decide to forego another night in Auckland and continue heading south to Taupo. Just maybe I will find some blue skies.
I travel all the way to Taupo which ended up being an 8 hour drive. Rain comes and rain goes. Although it was a long drive, I am entertained by the landscape and my radio. By now, I am real comfortable driving on the left hand side of the road. In fact, it seems so naturally to me. They have a lot of round-about’s too. It seems intuitive that you would enter and exit in a clockwise motion versus our approach which is counter clockwise.
I call it a day and have a nice dinner at my hotel. Tomorrow I will take a drive to Rotorua, known for their mineral baths.
Taupo
Taupo is located in the center of North Island and sits on the shore of Lake Taupo. Lake Taupo is NZ’s largest lake encompassing 240 square miles. The lake discharges to the Waikoto River which flows into the Huka Falls. Huka Falls is quite spectacular and worth a visit. And, if you have the money, stay at Huka Lodge. I ventured over there and was able to enjoy an $85 NZD lunch with a million dollar view. My travel book quotes that Lake Taupo is “the most famous trout-fishing lake in the world, yielding in excess of 500 tons of rainbow trout annually. Wow!
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| Huka Lodge |
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| Huka Falls |
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