Heading South - Tuesday, 1/15/2008

We got out of Auckland at about 9:30 this morning with an easy do-si-do around the sky tower and onto the south motor way. We checked our route with a couple cabbies outside the hotel (The cabbies are the only ones in the city in suits and ties) and they told us the route would be posted all the way to Rotorua (our destination for lunch) and as I walked away they said "of course the signs are in German." Kiwi humor.

We zipped south through Hamilton arriving in Rotorua around 12:30. Rotorua was steamy--no really, it was steamy. This is the home of the NZ hot springs with steam literally rising from little pockets around town. We grabbed a bite at a little bistro (John, shrimp noodle bowl; Mary, portabello plate) before heading out to the Government Gardens along Lake Rotorua. We walked along the shore of "sulpher bay" and the water was bubbling and boiling in spots with pockets of steam rising out of the rocks. The mud was even bubbling. We were in a Manuca forest as well and the combination of sulpher and manuca was not an altogether pleasant aroma.
There were beautiful bowling pitches around the grounds and at the end of our walk we tried to watch a few 80-year olds but they were just wrapping up their match. Too bad.

We got to our final destination, Taupo, about 4:30 and our room was changed from Lakeview to Garden. Apparently a previous guest had cut a foot and bled all over the carpet and it had not been replaced yet so we don’t get to see the lake. Lake Taupo is the largest lake in NZ and is known for its trout fishing. Our host, Bruce, runs a charter fishing business that he bought on a whim on holiday five years ago. His wife Angela runs the B&B. Our room is a very nice two room suite, so we will just have to have lake views at home.

After a wine with Bruce and Angela we popped next door to the local joint (Mole & Chicken) for a quick bite. John tried to talk himself out of the lamb shanks but the menu said they were the best in NZ so you do what you have to do. Mary had the cheese board and we kept the wine theme going with a Marlborough Pinot Noir. A 30 minute walk after dinner down to the lake and (painfully) back up and we are ready for bed.

Today’s Local Headline: Stars Rumored at A1GP Taupo Times (Paris Hilton may show up for this weekends Grand Prix)