Lake Taupo and Napier
En route to Taupo checked out the monumental Huka Falls and Craters of the Moon. Both were excellent - Craters of the Moon is this eerie fern covered landscape from which random craters emit clouds of sulphuric steam, some with mud bubbling at their base... From there we totally exploited the free samples of honey and various meads at "Honey Hive NZ" and bought up a few of the tastiest.
HUKA FALLS
CRATERS OF THE MOON
You can just imagine dinosaurs roming this amazing landscape...
Phoebe, the avid explorer
Me and Phoebe at a crater
We are the craters
Once in Taupo we checked into Rainbow Lodge and the next day sat at the shores where steaming hot geothermal springs mix with the lake water while waiting for the clouds could clear for me to do my 15000ft skydive (the highest altitude anyone is legally allowed to jump out of a plane from hahhhh. Yes. I was VERY jittery).
Got fitted with a sexy red jump suit and gimpish leather hat by my very own "Tandem Master", Kane. Yes, he was 7ft tall, chiselled jawline, and looked like he carried bullocks round his daddy's farm for fun, but he was also about as interesting as dishwater. Was given a oxygen mask in case of fainting at height (agh now i was really worried), then about 22 of us piled (literally) into a 4-person little plane, and flung ourselves out like lemmings. I did a 12000ft jump in Australia on my gap year, but this was something else - the 60secs of free fall were just incredible - a mad mix of euphoria, fear, and trying to make sure I remembered exactly how it all felt...then the parachute bit was just beautiful. We twirled over the massive blue lake and he let me take control but soon took it back after i got a bit zealous over my spins. In fact i think i really was a bit over-zealous as I nearly whitied (puked) about 10mins after landing and had fun holding it in when driving to Napier straight afterwards.
My sexy new clown trainers (cost about 6 quid and are a size too big....and i already have MASSIVE feet. oh dear)
Jumpsuit galore
Coming down...
Landing on my ass
NAPIER
Napier was a cute little art deco town - rebuilt in the 1930s after an earthquake/fires devastated the area. Some bits were just a bit OTT but most of it was really sweet. Went for drinks in the evening and actually contemplated properly going out, but our old-lady ways are hard to break and we were in bed by 11pm. ahhh.
Fountain
Art Deco building
Chintzy water feature
80s/art deco style mix
HUKA FALLS
CRATERS OF THE MOON
You can just imagine dinosaurs roming this amazing landscape...
Phoebe, the avid explorer
Me and Phoebe at a crater
We are the craters
Once in Taupo we checked into Rainbow Lodge and the next day sat at the shores where steaming hot geothermal springs mix with the lake water while waiting for the clouds could clear for me to do my 15000ft skydive (the highest altitude anyone is legally allowed to jump out of a plane from hahhhh. Yes. I was VERY jittery).
Got fitted with a sexy red jump suit and gimpish leather hat by my very own "Tandem Master", Kane. Yes, he was 7ft tall, chiselled jawline, and looked like he carried bullocks round his daddy's farm for fun, but he was also about as interesting as dishwater. Was given a oxygen mask in case of fainting at height (agh now i was really worried), then about 22 of us piled (literally) into a 4-person little plane, and flung ourselves out like lemmings. I did a 12000ft jump in Australia on my gap year, but this was something else - the 60secs of free fall were just incredible - a mad mix of euphoria, fear, and trying to make sure I remembered exactly how it all felt...then the parachute bit was just beautiful. We twirled over the massive blue lake and he let me take control but soon took it back after i got a bit zealous over my spins. In fact i think i really was a bit over-zealous as I nearly whitied (puked) about 10mins after landing and had fun holding it in when driving to Napier straight afterwards.
My sexy new clown trainers (cost about 6 quid and are a size too big....and i already have MASSIVE feet. oh dear)
Jumpsuit galore
Coming down...
Landing on my ass
NAPIER
Napier was a cute little art deco town - rebuilt in the 1930s after an earthquake/fires devastated the area. Some bits were just a bit OTT but most of it was really sweet. Went for drinks in the evening and actually contemplated properly going out, but our old-lady ways are hard to break and we were in bed by 11pm. ahhh.
Fountain
Art Deco building
Chintzy water feature
80s/art deco style mix
posted by Anna at 8:57 PM
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