On recommendation by our driver Kane, we stayed at Rainbow Lodge in Taupo. Having looked at our savings recently, and wondering how we'll survive two months in New Zealand on what we have left, I was checking the BBH website for places to work for accommodation and had emailed a few. Rainbow Lodge was also advertised so I just thought I'd ask when I got there. When we arrived, we met Jackie, a lovely Scottish girl and found out that there was work available and it required us to stay a minimum of two weeks. So I was all up for that; there's plenty to do in Taupo, the hostel seemed nice, it was two hours work a day, finished by 12.30pm, so why not. Kenny did not seem the least bit interested and all I wanted to do, was give him a good shake and say, 'do you really wana live on noodles for two whole months?' Anyways, we went back to her later to say we'd love the jobs and she said there was only one available, maybe another one in the next few days. So that was a bit awkward, but I put my positive thinking into action and hoped for the best that something would come up.

So the next day, I started work at 10am as housekeeping I.e. Changing beds, hoovering, in general making sure the rooms were clean and tidy. Easier said than done when I was still going half an hour later than the rest, maybe tomorrow would be easier. But at 11am, we took a half hour break that they called 'Smokco', some Australian traditional break that they had started years ago and had just stuck. So this gave me a chance to get to know the other cleaners; Aureali, Shuang, Iris and Eva, all seemed dead on. And to eat cake prepared by the night staff and drink coffee. Also met Matt, another manager there and Ross, the owner. Nick came along for a visit, who is reception night staff and Felix, who was the night time kitchen cleaner.

The following dat, we had two new additions, Sophie and Naoise, two lovely girls from Derby and they would eventually be the new reception staff, but in the meantime, did the laundry and odd jobs. Today we got word that Kenny could have a job at the end of the week, thank goodness and then we'd move into 'the armpit'. Sounded appealing and looked even more so. First impressions were not great. It was small, messy, dusty sand covered in cobwebs, but at least it didn't smell like an armpit. The walls reflected the years of people working for accommodation, each leaving a little message. Let's just say, I didn't sleep well the first night at the thought of spiders crawling around me, and as soon as I finished work the next day, I started cleaning.

Laura, Nick, Danny, and Laura arrived a few days after us, so hung out for a while. Had an Indian affair meal, soooo good, also got refused alcohol as they wouldn't accept my driving license (not impressed, I'm nearly 26!), then had a crazy night out. Ooo dear, I should not be allowed to drink. God love Lucinda who got the drunken Skype call. We visited the hot pools with them, which is at the thermal spa park and where a hot stream meets a bigger cold river is an ideal temperature to sit in. And it's free. It's like one leg can be hot and the other cold, we had to shuffle around a little to get the temperature right. In the next couple of days, we went on Fearless the sailboat, with the lovely skipper Dave, and this was $25 if purchased from Rainbow lodge, cheaper than the Barbary sailboat offered by Kiwi experience. So you get 2-3 hours on the water, a free drink on arrival, bring your own, and he takes ya too the Maori carvings. Pretty cool we trip, really enjoyed it. Shuang came with us from Rainbow Lodge, and we met Laura, Danny, Tim, Fran, Jack and Joe there.

The time we had in Taupo (2 1/2 weeks) passed in a blur really, of days we'd just hang our at the hostel and others where we'd get out and do stuff. Kenny was quite keen on taking the bikes out, so he'd been for a wee cycle, loved it so took me the next time. I really don't think I'm the best on a bike and I dread the hills, but we cycled as far as we could around Lake Taupo, which is the size of Singapore, so we didn't make it the whole way. We did see lots of ducks (which seem to be everywhere in New Zealand), swans and lots of boats and kayaks. Had a lovely wee day and felt safer with a helmet on; it's a legal requirement here. Since we were gona be there for a while, Kenny bought a fishing license, so that cleared up his afternoons for a week, whilst I hung out with Sophie and Naoise, going to the hot pools or a wander round town or lying by the lake with our 60 cent McDonalds ice-creams.
The only thing that restricted us on occasions was the lake of cars, as public transport doesn't seem that great here. So on Felix's day off, we got him to take us Mount Tarehara for an afternoon climb. Me, Felix, Naoise and Shuang. It was tough going but good times and amazing views from the top, a perfect day!! Massive blisters tho :( Shuang doesn't do much exercise do when we took a break 15 mins from the top, she collapsed in pile. Hilarious! But god love her, she didn't complain.

Tuesday night was pub quiz night at Mulligans, the Irish Bar. So we all decided to go for Nicks birthday. (Starting with a few loud drinks at the hostel; 'I love to drink with Sophie, coz Sophie is our friend, and when we drink with Sophie, she gets it down in 8.7.6.5.4.3.2.1!!!) anyways, arrive late for the quiz, so just help Jenny, who lives in the long term Rainbow lodge house; cherry lodge, with Kenny, the other tree surgeon. Anyways, after the quiz, we play musical chairs and the prize is a Bungy swing! I tell Sophie that I really want it, as we couldn't afford it and that I hope I win. But I don't win, I come 3rd :( but Sophie becomes my new best friend when she have me her prize of the Bungy swing!!!Best present ever!!! Just had to make sure I kept hold of the ticket. Then onto Element, the Base bar, for a few more drinks.

To make things a bit different, one night we all went to the hot pools. We were feeling lazy so got a taxi there and walked from the gate down. So it was pitch black, only the moonlight and phones to eliminate the way, and at of a sudden, this huge creature runs at us!!! Screams all around, grabbing into each other with death grips, terrified eyes, actually fearing for our lives. So what was it? A huge dog, with a collar on, but no owner in sight. Needless to say, we held on to each other a little tighter from there on. We reach the hot pools and it's packed, at 10pm at night, strange. But we get in anyways and it's cute, someone has lit up tea candles all around, so the only light is those and the moon. Definitely a night to remember, eh Sophie and Naoise?

Over the next few days, me and Kenny did the Taupo bungy swing. Got. Real bargain... So I got to go free, and Kenny booked on bookme.co.nz and got it for $70 instead of $99 and we got a free DVD, from the Taupo welcome map! Happy days!! It was soo good!! The drop, the feeling in your stomach, is hilarious. Kenny loved it too and the surroundings were beautiful. Got the girls to record it from the viewing deck and another woman recorded it from more nearby. So we have every angle covered. Would def love to do it again.

There was only a few days left, and Kenny had managed to get a few days work, yepee, so I decided I'd take a walk to Huka Falls. The weather had been so hot recently so grabbed my iPod and away I went. Would have taken 2 hours to get there, but one hour in, I get stuck in a thunder storm. The one time I don't bring a rain jacket! So I just had to suck it up, get drenched and turn round to go home.

On Felix's next day off work, him and Kenny head off on a kayak adventure.
Two men in a one man kayak, with a fishing rod, two water bottles, flip flops, one paddle and one life jacket set off onto Lake Taupo. All was calm. About 1km out into the lake, the wind changed causing waves to crash over the kayak. Causing the kayak to fill up with water (Kennys water bottle couldn't get the water out of the kayak quick enough) causing it to start to sink and then it flipped over, throwing Kenny and Felix out into the water. So with no life jacket on (Felix had the only one) Kenny is the voice of reason...
Felix, 'we are going to die!'
Kenny, 'calm down, we'll be ok.' So they shouted for help, frantically waving the paddle. Having been in the cold water for 5-10 minutes, it must have been really scary. As if someone up there had answered their prayers, a sail boat appeared on the horizon. And who was it, none other than Dave on Fearless, the boat we'd been on twice in the previous few weeks.
'Bloody Irish man again!' Says Dave. And he pulled them in the boat, along with the kayak. They were very lucky in two ways really..
1. Dave said he only ended up changing direction because of the wind, if not he wouldn't have seen them
2. Had they been in the water 5-10 minutes longer, hypothermia would have set in.
But still fate wanted to have a laugh at them. They get back safely to land, get the kayak strapped back on the car, into the car... It wouldn't start. He'd left the lights on. So he rings Rainbow Lodge,
'Hey. Me and Kenny almost drowned in Lake Taupo, had to be rescued on a sail boat and now my car battery has died. Can someone come and jump start us, rescue us again please?'
The funniest story I have heard in a long time. Probably not for them, but they lived to tell the tale.

Finally our last day of work was over, not a bad few weeks, and the event I had been building up to arrived, The Tongariro Crossing. I had one day to do it, as we had to get back on the Kiwi Exp bus and was soo lucky to get good weather. Kenny didn't really wana do it and I was kinda forcing him, but Naoise wanted to, so Kenny was off the hook. So up we get at 5, to be ready for the bus at 5.30am, Tongariro expeditions, and off we set. Takes just over an hour to get to the start and the weather is that clear, we can see mountains on the South Island. We get started at 6.55am. The first part of the walk was pretty average, easy enough walking, pleasant enough scenery. We take a toilet break at around 8, then start on 'The Devils Staircase'. Great because your gaining elevation and you can see lots, but it was quite tough. A few 2 min breaks along the way and we were grand.
Next we walked through an area that looked like craters, then up another big hill. And when we think we've made it to the top, nope there's another hill. Onwards and upwards and we make it to the highest point (I think) , the Red Crater. And it us exactly way it days, but just to make things interesting, the ground is hot here. From here, our lunch stop, we can see the beautiful Blue Lake and even more gorgeous smaller green lakes. Up until this point, no lakes have even come close to competing with the lakes in the Rockies; these definitely come close. On and on we went, passing through active volcanic land and we make it to the last straight, only 2km left. How long could that take? The longest 2km of the trip. We finished in 6 hours, pretty good when they average between 6 and 8 hours. Known as one of the best day hikes in the world, I would definitely agree.