Quiet day to recuperate from our long walk. Some of us had sore muscles ;-) We drove to Taupo (45 minutes away) to do some local sightseeing. Discovered the local hot springs, where the top pools were too hot to sit in for long and most people sat in the lower pool where the water mixed in with water from the Huka River. Also checked out the Honey Hive shop and revisited the Aratiatia Dam. This time we went to a different viewing point to watch the water being released into the Aratiatia Rapids. It is incredible the force of water flowing through the previously gently flowing stream. This is one of the locations that was used in the filming of the Hobbit - the barrel scene down the river.
 |
| Before release of water from dam |
 |
| After water is released from dam |
Highlight:
MK: Nice picnic lunch with pies and chips.
MJ: Seeing all that water being released at Aratiatia Rapids
MH:Yummy honey at the Huka Honey Hive. The Blue Borage was the best.
Logbook:
09:00 (803 km) Breakfast of baked beans and spaghetti on toast.
10:30 (803 km) Leave for Taupo.
11:20 (852 km) Taupo i-Site.
11:40 (855 km) Spa Thermal Park. The water was really, really hot! People had to move to the cooler waters in the river.
12:40 (859 km) Bought pies, rolls and chips for lunch from bakery.
12:55 (860 km) Picnic lunch outside Owen Delaney Park.
13:20 (869 km) Visited Huka Honey Hive for honey tasting.
13:50 (876 km) Aratiatia Falls. Say the opening of the gate for the spill at a different location. There was a lot of water.
15:00 (889 km) Shopping in Taupo.
15:20 (892 km) Fill up petrol in car.
16:00 (938 km) Turangi Bridge Motel.
19:00 (938 km) Cooked pork schnitzel and vegetables for dinner.