Anzac Weekend Part II: Geothermal Wonderland and Cathedral Cove Beach

Our weekend continued on Saturday, following the Mt. Doom shenanigans, as we tried to relax and recoup in Taupo with some easy uber-touristy activities. 

We started off Saturday morning at Huka Falls on the Waikato River, which drains Lake Taupo and is responsible for generating 15% of the country's energy.

Good map.

Good weather. The falls are 30 meters wide and run between sheer cliffs of rock.

NATURE'S FURY!!!

You can go on a jetboat ride to get a closer look for like $120 NZD. We opted for stadium seating and a view from the trail.

Monkeys would love this place.

We saw some Tui (a native bird that has a distinctive white ball on its chin) on the trail. They get much harder to spot when you get the big camera out. Huntin' Tui.

Nature.

When nature really calls.

This is not the Super-Loo, but rather, our next stop on the tourist trail - Wai-o-tapo Geothermal Wonderland Park!! Costs $30 to get in, but the smells are free! The region north of Lake Taupo and surrounding Rotorua is part of a volcanic caldera, and home to one of the largest active collections of geothermal features anywhere in the world. Yellowstone has a few more geysers, but New Zealand's got it beat on the hot spring front.

This one's called the "Artist's Palette."

So much sulfur!!!

The champagne pool is over 60 meters deep and 80 degrees celsius! (It's the one steaming in the distance here) And anyone who's paid the price of admission can walk right up to it.

Look, mom, no guardrails!

Really clear signage clearly distinguished the trail from hazardous features.

The sulfur caves get their color from crystallized sulfur that cools on the rock above steam vents.

We took sanctuary from the smell on a native bush walk.

And then went back out to check out the Champagne Pool up close.

No one vommed.

Hopped back in the car, and headed up to Rotorua, which also smells quite a lot like geothermals. We took a few pictures then continued north.

Detail of a Maori war canoe (reproduction).

Settled down for the night in Whangmata, but here's sunset at Waihi Beach.

Sunday, we drove up to Cathedral Cove, one of the most pictured beaches in the country. I'll let the pictures speak for themselves.

Waterfall!

That's all for a bit. We're off to the South Island today and won't have a computer, but I'll try to get on with my phone and post every few days with updates. See you all back in AA on May 15th!