Thanks for sharing MA. I'm having a great time, can't wait to see where we go next!
Printable View
Thanks for sharing MA. I'm having a great time, can't wait to see where we go next!
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 ...
http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7236/6...904489cd_o.jpg
Mt Ngauruhoe (an active volcano and Mt Doom from Lord of the Rings) provides a dramatic backdrop over an alpine plateau stream ...
http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7099/6...9bc187d0_o.jpg
http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7245/6...539fca50_o.jpg
http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7052/7...2d2fa8a1_o.jpg
We went somehwere and did something every day pretty much ... cool you are coming along for the ride ;)Quote:
Originally Posted by XPWizard
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 ...
http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7115/6...84d8f581_o.jpg
I thought I'd climb down and we could all have a closer look at this ...
http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7214/7...1ef4ff11_o.jpg
http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5467/6...2330934a_o.jpg
Looking downstream now we now how it forms a mini gorge
http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7256/7...68628bc7_o.jpg
http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7137/6...0166fe78_o.jpg
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.
http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7059/7...8455aedb_o.jpg
Next we'll hike down to a nice waterfall that flows off the side of Mt Ruapehu ...
I don't know what else to say but, amazing. Very fine craftsmanship.
Nature is the best craftsman alright!Quote:
Originally Posted by Barefoot
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.
http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5312/7...c3b7ba08_o.jpg
http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7215/6...33a79832_o.jpg
http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5329/7...7ce4a34a_o.jpg
And ... this is me shooting the falls while my wife shoots me :)
http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7210/7...c626f280_o.jpg
The nocturnal, flightless Kiwi can become roadkill if we don't watch out for them and drive carefully
http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5464/7...f656d60c_o.jpg
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.
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
http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7209/6...4d4f4f88_o.jpg
http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7187/6...356daffe_o.jpg
A farm scene I liked due to the fog hanging over the hill and the unusual light
http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7239/6...f391812e_o.jpg
Can't aways drive over or around the hills ...
http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7117/7...12cf1cd2_o.jpg
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 ...
http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5464/7...781707c4_o.jpg
http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5450/6...a8de2e51_o.jpg
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.
Really enjoying this trip MA. The stand outs for me so far are the fly fishing and the cows above (love the light)
Thanks Runmonty. As I'm doing this in the correct timeline the best may be yet to come. Well I think they definitely are :)Quote:
Originally Posted by Runmonty