Come Fly With Me - To New Zealand

**XPWizard** · 04-15-2012, 05:52 AM

Thanks for sharing MA. I'm having a great time, can't wait to see where we go next!

**Mad Aussie** · 04-15-2012, 05:59 AM

A few k's down the road I turned down a tiny road I'd seen on a previous visit to NZ where I knew a cool view of Mt Doom awaited.
This is a small waterfall I found first ...

Mt Ngauruhoe (an active volcano and Mt Doom from Lord of the Rings) provides a dramatic backdrop over an alpine plateau stream ...

**Mad Aussie** · 04-15-2012, 06:13 AM

Originally Posted by XPWizard

Thanks for sharing MA. I'm having a great time, can't wait to see where we go next!

We went somehwere and did something every day pretty much ... cool you are coming along for the ride

**Mad Aussie** · 04-15-2012, 04:48 PM

As the river flows downstream we come back to the turn off where a very cool little section lies.

Looking from the roadside we see this view ... the river has cutit's way through the rock to form a narrow channel ...

I thought I'd climb down and we could all have a closer look at this ...

Looking downstream now we now how it forms a mini gorge

Finally the water exits the little gorge and flows under the road and away. Again, Lord of the Rings star, Mt Doom (Mt Ngauruhoe) stars in the background.

Next we'll hike down to a nice waterfall that flows off the side of Mt Ruapehu ...

**Barefoot** · 04-15-2012, 10:37 PM

I don't know what else to say but, amazing. Very fine craftsmanship.

**Mad Aussie** · 04-15-2012, 11:03 PM

Originally Posted by Barefoot

I don't know what else to say but, amazing. Very fine craftsmanship.

Nature is the best craftsman alright!

**Mad Aussie** · 04-15-2012, 11:13 PM

Before heading home for the day we took a short walk to the Tawhai (pron. Tar Fy) falls. This waterfall lies on a stream that runs off the side of Mt Ruapehu.

And ... this is me shooting the falls while my wife shoots me

The nocturnal, flightless Kiwi can become roadkill if we don't watch out for them and drive carefully

With that he headed home ready for an early rise and a big day driving to the coastal town of New Plymouth and the other major volcano on the North Island.

**Mad Aussie** · 04-16-2012, 07:05 PM

This morning we left the Lake Taupo early, braced for a long day. Wises.co.nz had shown us our route out to the coastal town of New Plymouth was about a 2hr 17 min drive. <cough bull> <cough ****e> ... more like 4 hrs!
New Zealand is a very hilly country. And what they call hills, Aussie's call mountains!
The drive was interesting enough, scenery wise but a stretch of gravel road that lasted 37 k's through tight, winding terrain sure slowed us up.

As we climbed away to the west over the lake we had a couple of beautiful views of the low cloud blanketing the lake district

A farm scene I liked due to the fog hanging over the hill and the unusual light

Can't aways drive over or around the hills ...

Before we lost all sight of our temporary home in NZ, we stopped at a lookout and looked back over the Waikato region and the Tongariro National Park and the 3 volcanoes that dominate it's landscape ...

With limited time on our hands, we were going to be late in rendezvousing with a friend, so no more photos until we reached New Plymouth with it's interesting beaches, isolated volcano (used as Mt Fugi in the Lost Samurai) and big rock we climbed.