What Happens In Roto-vegas...

...stays on your clothes for a few days. In this installment, we're heading from Napier to Rotorua by way of Taupo via the Geothermal Highway.

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So, we leave Hawke's Bay and head inland a bit.


The scenery is decently dramatic... truck for scale. (and by decent I mean VERY)


One Tree Focus.
Pictures like this make you forget Britney Spears is alive.


We come across Lake Taupo. A very large lake. Very busy in high summer. there must have been a dozen boats about.


Acacia Bay (Lake Taupo) is a little community away from the hustle and bustle of Taupo proper. We stopped here and had some lunch... more leftover indian food and a vegan curry pie I bought at BP (so we could get some plasticware to eat with... and to support the idea of a vegan curry pie)


Wai-O-Tapu Geothermal Park... oh goodness... get ready for some "Earth is cool" photos


A non-threatening forest. The area is chokka with evergreens and ferns


Silica sinsters: Only hints of craziness and a view


Just a standard photo from the park


Rock Eater's delight. Such strong hands.


Ludo: Smell Bad


...because of this: Sulphur (hence the title of this post. more to come)


Aluminium. AKA Alcoa lake.

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I'd like to pause here. I really like this next set of photos... well more to the point, I really like the awesomeness of Geothermal activity in these photos.
GO

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Champagne pool. This thing is big. This thing is stinky. There is very hot steam hissing forth. It smells like rotten eggs mixed with spoiled potatoes... but in the most delicious way. You know it smells so bad and it is so hot and steamy... that you kind of really enjoy it. wtf earth?!?!?!


Champagne Me: can i haz champagne pool pleeze!!!1!


Champagne Liz: awesomeness on the edge of awesomeness


Champagne 2: I really like this...


Champagne 3: I really really, really like this...


Champagne 4: I really, really... whatever, you get the idea.


Typical colours... weird part is... they are totally natural


I tried to put pictures from our b&b up... but it was scary...
If you are near Rotorua and want to stay in a B&B let me know... it was great... for a B&B. They gave me some homemade hot sauce and preserves. Really, it was nice.

Love you all...
Next time: West Coast, Karekare, Piha, etc.

Finally, we're set to go... to Napier

Phase 2: Post Boxing Day
Encompassing the drive from Wellington to Napier and our stay in Hawke's Bay

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We Drive Towards Napier
Over mountains
By the sea


We see wee towns dotted along the motorway


We see some moo cows on a lovely hill (x's 356)


We see some sweeping landscapes



We see hills dressed in pine, waiting to be sheared


We see places that look like Hobbiton


We see some very pretty long white clouds


Once in the Hawke's Bay region
We drive to Te Mata Peak, this is only part of the way


We're at the peak
This is part of what we see, notice the same wee road and hill as above


I like this ridge
You can see out to the Pacific


Our Blue Holden
My hair is like that because of the wind... by the by


I said I liked this...
Vertical


Black Barn Vineyard
Quite nice, they do not export


Proof. I am not just putting the good photos up here


The typical day in the Hawke's Bay


You can see all in reflection


Gloaming Tree Art
Te Mata Peak is just above the boardwalk

Here we go...

It is taking some motivation to put together another post so quickly... but I'm doing this in honor of lil' Zoe sitting up by herself. So, as to not bore anyone with the minutiae of work, I'm sticking to the holiday theme.

Chapter II: Wellington


See, the boat even says so. Wellington (AKA Te Whanganui a Tara). The most populous national capital in Oceania. Sweet As. I was a bit surprised to not see a town wrapped in pastry dough, though... maybe just a bit of English (not Fronch) mustard.


Guess what I think is pretty... not me. But Liz takes pretty photos.


Christmas by the Harbour. We both really (really) like Wellington... like Edinburgh like (well... close).


I call this, "Beauty with the Witcoulls Santa"


Harbour


CBD


I don't get it...


Liz takes nice photos. I tried to take one, but my composition was off...


The Beehive... Parliament.


Proof. There is no such thing as a "short-sleeve dress shirt"


Harbour B


Harbour C


One of our many bird friends

I think that'll do it for Wellington. Next will be our drive to Napier and Hawke's Bay. I would get started on it while Blogger is behaving... but I'm in the middle of doing a powerpoint on training stuff for why I'm in enzed.