After getting all packed up with food and saying goodbye to Don and Kay in Gizzy we headed to the trails and the bush. Eugene pulled a muscle while working hard on the farm so we hit up the Morere hot springs first in order to loosen him up for our walk. Morere thankfully is not a sulfur smelling pool it is actually ancient sea water that has taken thousands of years to reach the surface. We walked in the surrounding bush of the reserve and then soaked for about 4hrs. It was magical.
The next day we got the rest of our provisions, booked our campsites for a 3 night 4 day walk around Lake Waikeromoana. We got all ready that night and hit the trail the next morning. We had the most beautiful weather anyone could ask for while hiking through ancient rainforest's. We knew the weather was going to be all time the first day so we hiked in the uphill direction to get to the viewpoints on the first day as recommended. We stayed in a conservation hut the first night where Eugene almost burnt the thing down with our 91 octane gas powered stove. When it burst into flames Eugene picked it up and ran the stove outside. Luckily one of the Kiwi guys grew up eating plenty of chips(french fries) so he knew how to put out a grease fire or a gas fire with a wet dish towel . No thanks to the Europeans who decided to take pictures of Eugene while he was frantically trying to put out the fire. Maybe you can You Tube it!!!!! The stove got melted a bit but still works and Eugene didn't get burned, no harm done:)
The next morning we woke up to another bluebird sunshine day. We had four days of this kind of weather!!! We swam in the lake everyday, saw unfamiliar stars and woke up to the beautiful chorus of the morning birds . The trail doesn't circumnavigate the lake fully, there is a dirt road that follows the coastline so you have to get a drop off or a pick up for the trek. Ours was going to be Hitching!!! It was not the best road to hitch on. We waited for two hours before the first car. It stopped and picked us up and gave us a scary ride towards civilization. Then we jumped out and met an American couple who offered us another ride the rest of the way after their hikes. We figured we would go for it, so we hiked with them and a Kiwi family of four boys who entertained us on the walk. After hiking 55km what was another 5 more.
We postponed our next work exchange for another week so we could see some more sights. From the lake we went to wine country in Hastings and Napier. Eugene got to surf and we sampled wines from different vineyards. After being on the east side for so long it was time to head inland and then over to the west side. We went to the volcanic mountain ski town of Taupo where its famous for trout fishing and has the biggest fresh water lake in NZ, Lake Taupo. We went to a great hot spring there in a small stream of hot flowing water emptying into a river. We camped at lovely free site where we met a nice English couple who we hung out with for a couple nights. After we headed to the Tongaririo National Park to do some hiking. The mountains there are snow capped volcanoes creating their own weather patterns.
By the time we got on the mountain to do the Tongariro Crossing the weather clear but was beginning to change. We made it most of the way up just shy of the top before we got stuck in a snow storm. We couldn't believe it, we were freezing so we had to turn around. We were on the mountain used in Lord of the Rings as Mt. Doom, we were looking for Smeegle but couldn't find him in the white out.
After the hike we ended up hunkering down for two days in the van listening to the rain and the wind as the storm brewed. Good thing we had plenty of snacks and beer and wine. The rain slightly let off the following morning for our trip back to the Tasman Sea on the West Coast.
We took the long and winding road across to arrive at last volcano in the chain, used in the movie Last Samurai. The Great Mount Taranaki. We stayed at the Mikes Organic Brewery at the coast for five days where we worked six hours a day getting them ready for their Octoberfest. Labeling bottles, making picnic tables, cleaning kegs and tasting beer while learning some tricks of the trade. We got paid in beer and food and hung out with some young German kids and an exciting Isralei guy. By the end of the week they all grew on us and we have some pretty good quotes from them all. We could have stayed to work the Beer Fest but the place was not fully equipped for thirty wwoolfers and we were drinking way too much Beer!! I guess that's what happens when you get paid in Beer you feel the need to drink more cause you earned it!!!
We stayed in the Taranaki region for another five days because the surf was supposed to be good , along the Surf Highway. Spring weather brings onshore winds which are bad and the waves weren't forming right. So we waited the weather out by going up into Mount Taranaki National Park and somehow the weather was great on the mountain!!! We scored another couple great days on the Volcano checking out freshwater pools and native bush trails, and some local gardens in the area. When we got back down to check the waves again they were forming a little too big for Katy, but perfect for Eugene and he scored. Then later that day, on a limb we decided to take Frenchy on a ferry ride to the South Island at 2:40am. We made it across the Cook Straight and now we are in Nelson trying to plan our next step in the Journey of the Frog and the Hare.
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