2am just got up for a call of nature and can't get back to sleep!!!
I feel as if I have been here for ever!!! You could be forgiven for thinking we were driving through English/Scottish countryside. Everyone has said that New Zealand was stunning, so does that mean Britian is also stunning? I have always thought so, and as much as we love to travel, you just can't beat being home!!
Much more relaxed driving a car as a-posed to the van, (which I always felt was top heavy !) the roads are goooooood, so Bev also more relaxed.
Auckland was a strange city. Didn't feel that it had a heart!if you know what I mean. It revolved around 2 long streets that were steep hills. No good for wheelchair users! There was old buildings doted between new, which I always like to see, but nothing of major interest. Maybe I didn't give it enough time to explore. The weather wasn't great and as I said steep hills, not much fun, but we are glad that we went.
Picked up the car and set out. Easy to leave the city, turn left, turn right and we were out!!!!! The weather was awfull, raining cats and dogs!! Had to stop a twice to adjust mirrors and heaters as couldn't get the right settings!! Any way driving through the countryside with hills and fields and cows and the occasional forest, was pleasant except the rain was blowing across in sheets!! just like home!!!
The changes of sceanary came when we hit small towns. Mostly bungled styles, mostly of white washed wood, quite pretty. The business and industrial areas are kept out of the town so sometimes it felt like America. A nice drive but they need more stopping bays to take pictures!!
Rotorua is a nice clean smart town. Loads of money here!! Beautiful old buildings are used for the museums etc, there is a Large lake which when we went to looked at it, it almost seemed tidal as the bad weather was coursing the water to lap over the paths. We will visit again tomorrow if the weather is better.
Having settled into our motel, we both jumped into our private hot tub to warm up! Big thing here, but a bit of a cheat. You would think that they are filled from the natural springs but they not, oh well
can't have it all!! There is also electric blankets on the beds which tell you how cold it can get, but its not as bad as we thought it would be, (yet!) if it wasnt for the rain, fleeses would do!!!
Not wanting to waist the afternoon we set out to find our way around, everything so close and the
rain had stopped so we headed out to the geysers. the town is surrounded in trees and inbetween hot
steam rises. It's quite erie. The town has been built to promote the geysers, hence there are restricted areas to see them and of course it's become very commercial !! All the photos taken to promote, of
people walking on the rocks are obviously staged. It would be far to dangerouse to allow the public to wander!
Our first sighting was as we turned a corner and the geyser they call "the prince of wells" was just
going up. It took your breath away. And as we walked closer the steam became thicker. We were very thankful it had rained all day because it made them more active, also the mud pools were at their
best, popping and bubbling away. (as much as I would like to get ride of a few wrinkles, there is no
way you would get me to wallow in there!!) I could have stayed for hours just watching. The whole
area was covered in geysers, with a warm stream running through the middle, steam rising into the
sky and the smell strong but not overly strong. If we get the chance we will go back, but this is the
"Thermal trail" so I am sure we will see a lot more!!!!
I feel as if I have been here for ever!!! You could be forgiven for thinking we were driving through English/Scottish countryside. Everyone has said that New Zealand was stunning, so does that mean Britian is also stunning? I have always thought so, and as much as we love to travel, you just can't beat being home!!
Much more relaxed driving a car as a-posed to the van, (which I always felt was top heavy !) the roads are goooooood, so Bev also more relaxed.
Auckland was a strange city. Didn't feel that it had a heart!if you know what I mean. It revolved around 2 long streets that were steep hills. No good for wheelchair users! There was old buildings doted between new, which I always like to see, but nothing of major interest. Maybe I didn't give it enough time to explore. The weather wasn't great and as I said steep hills, not much fun, but we are glad that we went.
Picked up the car and set out. Easy to leave the city, turn left, turn right and we were out!!!!! The weather was awfull, raining cats and dogs!! Had to stop a twice to adjust mirrors and heaters as couldn't get the right settings!! Any way driving through the countryside with hills and fields and cows and the occasional forest, was pleasant except the rain was blowing across in sheets!! just like home!!!
The changes of sceanary came when we hit small towns. Mostly bungled styles, mostly of white washed wood, quite pretty. The business and industrial areas are kept out of the town so sometimes it felt like America. A nice drive but they need more stopping bays to take pictures!!
Rotorua is a nice clean smart town. Loads of money here!! Beautiful old buildings are used for the museums etc, there is a Large lake which when we went to looked at it, it almost seemed tidal as the bad weather was coursing the water to lap over the paths. We will visit again tomorrow if the weather is better.
Having settled into our motel, we both jumped into our private hot tub to warm up! Big thing here, but a bit of a cheat. You would think that they are filled from the natural springs but they not, oh well
can't have it all!! There is also electric blankets on the beds which tell you how cold it can get, but its not as bad as we thought it would be, (yet!) if it wasnt for the rain, fleeses would do!!!
Not wanting to waist the afternoon we set out to find our way around, everything so close and the
rain had stopped so we headed out to the geysers. the town is surrounded in trees and inbetween hot
steam rises. It's quite erie. The town has been built to promote the geysers, hence there are restricted areas to see them and of course it's become very commercial !! All the photos taken to promote, of
people walking on the rocks are obviously staged. It would be far to dangerouse to allow the public to wander!
Our first sighting was as we turned a corner and the geyser they call "the prince of wells" was just
going up. It took your breath away. And as we walked closer the steam became thicker. We were very thankful it had rained all day because it made them more active, also the mud pools were at their
best, popping and bubbling away. (as much as I would like to get ride of a few wrinkles, there is no
way you would get me to wallow in there!!) I could have stayed for hours just watching. The whole
area was covered in geysers, with a warm stream running through the middle, steam rising into the
sky and the smell strong but not overly strong. If we get the chance we will go back, but this is the
"Thermal trail" so I am sure we will see a lot more!!!!
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