Taupo
October 4th
The kids wrapped up Term 3 at the end of September, making the first two weeks of October our Spring Break. We decided on heading up to the central part of the North Island to see some of the sights.
In order to keep our own wheels we took the Interislander ferry across the Cook Strait and then drove the remaining 4 1/2 hours to Taupo. Taupo is a key tourist center in New Zealand due to the presence of Lake Taupo, New Zealand's Larget Lake, and the nearby volcanic mountains of Tongariro National Park.
The two ferry services run several crossings each day. While boarding you are likely to see walk-on backpackers, commuters, and families on holiday. The ferries also serve a commercial purpose and you may find yourself parked next to a livestock truck or two on the parking deck. On the travel decks, there are cafes, multiple lounge areas, a playground and movie theatre for the kids and most importantly Wifi.
The trip across the straits takes around 3 1/2 hours. Although there is plentiful outside seating and incredible views of the sounds, once the ferry enters the straits the wind becomes intense and everyone heads inside.
During the school holiday, they cater to the traveling school children with a coloring contest complete with a panel of judges. Meredith was fortunate enough to win her age group and collect a $25 gift card to the gift shop. Jack and Lilly quickly jumped into Wheel of Fortune showcase shopping mode spending the remaining 40 minutes of the trip deciding how best to spend her winnings.
Once in Wellington, we were told Te Papa, the national museum and art gallery, is must see for visitors to the islands. It did not disappoint. Upon entering the museum you are immediately immersed in the unique natural and cultural history of New Zealand and the museum does a wonderful job of targeting both the young and the old with highly interactive exhibits. We plan to return anytime we are passing through Wellington.
Let's get to Taupo! So we were looking at a 4-5 hour trip on New Zealand roads with 3 children fully loaded up on Sprite and parents running on coffee. We were estimating we could complete it in under 7 hours if all went well.
Similar to other drives in NZ, the sights are stunning along the way. After leaving Wellington, you drive the scenic highway along the Kapiti Coastline before turning inland. Even though we were heading north we were to expect cooler weather due to the increased elevation and distance from the ocean. About two thirds of the way the volcanoes of Tongariro National Park dominate the horizon.
Mt. Ruapehu, the largest of the active volcanoes is home to New Zealand's largest ski area. Not to worry they have a "volcano cam' and a network of sensors to sound the alarm if any vocanic activity is imminent. If Mt. Nguarahoe, the traditional cinder cone volcano looking one, appears familiar it may because it was the stand-in for Mt. Doom in Lord of the rings. We drove up on the desert side of the range and were able to get a close up view of their size. Similar to the Grand Tetons and Jenny Lake, they dominated the backdrop during our time on Lake Taupo.
We made it in just under 8 hours!!
Lake Taupo drains into the Waikato River. The 100-meter wide Waikato River then abruptly narrows to just 15 meters as it is funneled through a rocky gorge and forms the spectacularly powerful Huka falls and rapids.The uniquely intense blue color of the water in the Huka Falls is due to the crystal clear water reflecting blue light.The addition of air bubbles from traveling through the canyon intensifies the blue color, providing a breathtaking wonder of nature for spectactors and thus making Huka Falls the most visited and photographed natural attraction in New Zealand. Jack was awe-struck.
A supervolcanic eruption created Lake Taupo some 26,500 years ago. The caldera filled with water creating a lake with cool water temperatures, decent depth, and crystal clear water. These conditions were found to be ideal for the introduction of trout in the early 1900's. Today Lake Taupo and the surrounding streams are considered a trout fishing mecca with people traveling from around the world to fish these waters. We decided to give it a go one morning and landed a couple of rainbows for our efforts. Lilly's fish was the largest of the day and was dinner for us that evening.
Lilly's hot streak continued at the Prawn Park, where she was the only one who did the US proud by landing one of these beasts. Each aquaculture pond is teeming with over 10,000 prawns. How hard could it be to catch your lunch? Well, we found out at the end, the key is to know when to pull the line in. When the bait is picked up by the prawns their instinct is to carry the bait away to a hiding spot before trying to ingest it. Timing is everything. We ended up eating fish and chips. Prawn park had it all. In addition to fishing for prawns, you could try kayaking, pedal-wheeling or paddleboarding over the waters filled with antennae and pinchers. Fun!
Maori legend identifies Lake Taupo as the heart of the North Island. In addition to being located in the geographic center, it is surrounded by volcanoes and geothermal activity. Orakei Korako, is a highly active geothermal area located in a valley north of Taupo on the banks of the Waikato River and here you are able to take a tramp around thermal springs, bubbling mud pits, geysers, and sinter terraces.
Mud pots are the best!
We had a wonderful time in Taupo!
