Taupo and the big mountains.

So, last weekend, Will took part in the Round-the-lake run in Taupo. This was one of those bonkers events (starting at 2am, covering 150km and taking 12+ hours) that kiwis seem to like. Will ran with one of the the Fonterra teams (18 legs and 10 of them) and they came in with a very respectable 13 hours and a bit.










We stayed at a fantastic alpaca farm by the lake and I fell for the fuzzy little beasts. The owners miniature poodles with matching haircuts!!

The Sunday was spent enjoying the hot bits of Taupo and the mountains. The Craters of the Moon were steaming nicely and smelling plenty.

We popped over to see the Taupo Bungy site, which is very impressive, but NEVER going to happen!!

We took the scenic route home via Tongariro National Park. We drove round the south side of Lake Taupo and into the hills. We drove up to Whakapapa (to see Mt Ruapehu and check out the skifields for later in the year). Lots of the nastier bits of Middle Earth scenery - Mordor, Mt Doom, Emyn Muil, Plains of Gorgoroth - desolate and volcanic).

We're planning to do the Tongariro Crossing (tramping the saddles of the three volcanoes) later in the autumn.

Jenny and Martin are still with us and enjoying NZ. They are in Wellington for a few days, enjoying the wind!!

Gordon is doing fine. He's now a fully fledged indoor/outdoor cat who loves the indoor/outdoor game. Next house has to have a catflap!!

We are still partly surrounded by boxes. I have sorted all the things that we want immediately. The rest has to wait until we move house later in the autumn.