11/08/2006
Day 7 Did the Earth move for you too?
Taupo – another lovely seasidey feeling place – but on the shores of a lake (a volcanic one!!! 
)
We didn’t spend much time looking round actually as it was raining so much,
The weather in NZ has been very wet these last few days with reports on the news about landslips and houses nearly falling down holes – but not in Auckland I hasten to add 
Taupo
Anyway back to our trip along the Thermal Explorer Highway (or Super Highway 1 as I’ve christened it! 
)
First stop the Huka Falls
The Falls
A very fast flowing gorge with a spectacualar falls at the end of it – and people go in jet boats up to it and do all sorts of mad things like 360 turns in it and other generally “I’m not doing THAT Murray!” type things …
From there it was a short hop to the Volcanic Activity Centre – yes was in my element ! Lots of words like “tectonic” and “subduction zones” being banded about (yes I know I’m a sad geographer! 
) Its one of those interactive places so there were lots of things to play with – and the beauty of this trip is everyone else is at work so you get to go on things loads …. 
Where I’d like a job!
Having survived a 6 on the Reichter scale – in a simulation I might add :
it was off to some more hot spots at The Craters of the Moon – this is a realtively new thermal area which came about because of the local power station – and is still forming !
The rain came down which really steamed the place up – good for my chest though – after all those years of being held over steam to clear it as a child I just got to walk through it !
(will get back to you with link for that! I have got pics but my blog won’t take em!!)
From here we went to visit New Zealand Wood craft
Wood
where we saw a lathe demo much like Dad does – infact the business was up for sale … I could work the till Dad! 
The native wood the Kauri was what the Maoris used to build their canoes – massive trees!
From here we wound our way back over the mountains along superhighway 1 and some pretty dire rain storms back to Auckland
as we hit the road bound for Taupo via some more sites of geo thermal interest for Miss Intrepid Geog/Geologist here! 
) here you actually get to walk over some real life unstable ground!!!!
) and dining at NZ’s No1 Pizza Place for 2006 The Volcanic Kitchen – stone baked on wood fires – the waya Mama lika s to make it 
) to Auckland via one or two other spots …
so we didn’t venture far in it ….
)
) – I was expecting huge volcanic wastelands with geysers and mud pools every two feet … 
– but the plants and trees round here are very determined …
)
but I didn’t last the whole game !!!! 
) 
)
– sort of like pieces of Crunchie in very vanilla ice cream …
when Murray pointed out he had a little friend who was in their little shelter …
managed to keep awake to adapt to NZ time … 
( viewers of a sensitive disposition may want to avert their eyes!!!) 
) yesterday to see his Nan Moff – a totally gorgeous lady of 90 who unfortunately fell the other week and broke her hip – mind you if I’m like her at 50 I’ll be chuffed … and I got to meet Mum and Dad too 
last evening …
Murray!!!! 
4 now