What we learned:
R2D2 is not a bird
We did a lot of forest hikes here. There is just a lot of forest here, and we like to walk. So, we end up a lot in forests.
Which is not a bad thing. The forests here are fantastic. With all the wild green chaos of the plants slow fight for the best spot.
There is always a freshness in the air. It smells like humid earth. And there is always an amazing sound. Birds chirp in all variations. One bird song sticks out of all the chirping. It sounds surprisingly like R2D2 have a rattling part hanging off his head.
It took us a while with Christies bird book to find the guy who is responsible for these sounds. I have to say I was a little bit disappointed to have the mystery solved, now knowing there are no R2D2’s hiding in the NZ forests. It is a black, dark blue bird who beeps in the forests: the Tui.
Stuff we saw:
Stuff we did:
Geothermal walk and campsite at the Lake Taupo
The whole northern Island of NZ is basically a volcanic island. And so, there is a lot going on under our feet. Many geothermal sites show the majesty of this natural power… well majestic is the view… not the smell of course.
The Waimangu Volcanic Valley is just one of many locations. We picked it on no specific reason. Well, let’s see how it is…
A one way 3 hour walk down a little valley is what you do here.
So we put on our hiking boots and took off.
Every corner we took some other detail caught our eye. Hot lakes steam in the sun. A little breeze moves the steam clouds gently over the calm water of the little lake. It is an unbelievable sight. When watching through the binoculars or the cameras you only catch a part of the lake and the view is tricking your mind. It looks like you are looking at a fast-forwarded video of clouds in the sky.
Everywhere are little hot springs, some erupting, some gurgling and some just sending their smelly water down to a little stream.
It is a fantastic walk.
We continued our drive to Lake Taupo on which side we found a nice little campsite.
peaks, pampas, and panniers 