Christmas Eve ... we are now in Taupo having driven up from Rotorua this morning. Our day in Rotorua yesterday was lovely. Spent an interesting morning in Hells Gate, an area rich in thermal activity, with many pools bubbling away in excess of 100c . We took advantage of the warm mud bath rich in natural minerals, ironically this was the first bath I have seen in over 4 months and it was a mud one!!!! Then we washed off and tried to relax in the sulpher hot w...

On the way to Taupo we stopped off for a walk by Huka Falls. The falls are 11 metres hight and were formed by an earthquake. Taupo itself is the first town of any real size we have come across since leaving Auckland. It is situated on the banks of Lake Taupo which is the largest lake in Australasia, big enough to fit the whole of Singapore in it. It is believed that it was the scene of the largest known volcanic explosion around 186 AD. As you look out of th...