Sunday 23rd

Today we said goodbye to Rotorua once again and headed to Tongariro National Park. Before doing so we had a lovely breakfast at the B & B. We were very comfortable there and it was so much better than being in a hotel.  Instead of a room we had the use of the whole of the ground floor, including the kitchen. After breakfast we headed off to the Redwoods Forest where 170 species of trees from all over the world were planted in 1899. The intention was to see which ones could be grown successfully as timber trees and the radiata pine won but the redwoods thrived and so formed the heart of the forest. 

Cross section of a redwood which is 96 years old

Still a lot of growing to do

After a lovely walk we set off for Tongariro and stopped at Lake Taupo to eat our picnic. This was the view over the lake. 

We arrived at our lodge after a lovely drive and were informed that unless things change the walk would be going ahead, hurray. Just need  to wait until 7pm to get the final timings as it's totally dependent on weather. The walk today was cancelled because conditions at the top were expected to be very poor so we feel very lucky that at the moment conditions are favourable. 

Our walk takes us up at the left hand base of the big one, over the top and down at the far left hand end. 

Had our briefing and it's a goer for tomorrow. Lorraine, the owner of the Lodge, reckons it'll be busy because the weather has been bad for the last few days and all those who have been holed up will be coming out of the woodwork. We have an early start, so what's new, up at 6am, breakfast at 6:45 and on the bus to the start of the trail at 7:30, start trail at 7:50. The transport back is at 3:30 and 5:30, so fingers crossed we can do the walk in 7 and a half hours and be back here in the hot tub at 4pm :-) We're told it's going to be cold because there is a southerly wind blowing. Now back home a southerly wind means warm air currents but down here it means the wind is coming from Antarctica and believe me it felt it when we went out to get food. During the day we had watched the temperature fall from 22c in Rotorua to 11c here in Tongariro. Before we went for food we put the radiators on so at least it's nice and cosy now in our lodge.