nev
Super Térrarist
After a rest day in Napier our next destination was Rotorua. I had planned to head there via Lake Waikaremoana, which has a long stretch of dirt road. Unfortunately despite the drought in the north island, over the past week there's been rain up this end of the island. If we go this way and the dirt is beyond our capability, it will add 200km to our day, which isn't possible on NZ roads. Instead I decide to skip the NE and head straight to Rotorua via Taupo and a few other excursions.
First stop was morning tea at the Tarawera Cafe
North of Taupo we detoured down Tram Road through some pine plantation. A few km further on from where we stopped and took this photo was some road works. We learned later that night that a few hours after we rode through, one of the STOP/GO sign holders at the roadworks was shot dead as he manned his sign. Dangerous job that.
First evidence of the volcanic activity, steam from a hot springs
That night we visited the Mitai Maori Village and ate a hangi meal
and watched the entertainment
Some of the other tourists there that night were visiting from Hawaii and several of the men were chiefs of their tribes, which probably makes them distant relatives of the maori tribe who's land they were visiting. Apparently the Hawaiian and Maori languages are still about 70% similar, which is pretty good considering 1000+ years of isolation.
and of course a haka
First stop was morning tea at the Tarawera Cafe
North of Taupo we detoured down Tram Road through some pine plantation. A few km further on from where we stopped and took this photo was some road works. We learned later that night that a few hours after we rode through, one of the STOP/GO sign holders at the roadworks was shot dead as he manned his sign. Dangerous job that.
First evidence of the volcanic activity, steam from a hot springs
That night we visited the Mitai Maori Village and ate a hangi meal
and watched the entertainment
Some of the other tourists there that night were visiting from Hawaii and several of the men were chiefs of their tribes, which probably makes them distant relatives of the maori tribe who's land they were visiting. Apparently the Hawaiian and Maori languages are still about 70% similar, which is pretty good considering 1000+ years of isolation.
and of course a haka