Taupo

We took advantage of our camping at Waikite valley pools again and revisited the hot baths this morning, Eddie happily splashing about in the family pool he had 2 hours of it last night and another hour this morning and could have stayed longer! After a quick walk to look at he spring, we grown ups took turns visiting the hotter pools with views of the hot stream, and chatting to a nice kiwi couple who offered us a stay at their place near wellington on the way back north.

In the afternoon, on recommendations from everyone, we headed to Orakei Korako thermal park & caves. We caught the boat over the lake to view the silica terraces of yellow, orange and green, punctuated with geysers and steaming pools. Disappointingly you couldn’t do much more than view the entrance to the country’s only geothermal cave due to ‘danger of rockfall’. Spoilsports.

We finished the day with a visit to Huka falls, a pinch point in a massive river causing violent rapids then a raging waterfall into a bright blue lake, then camped on 5 mile bay outside Taupo with lakeside views (when we could see them through the cloud!)