Roger our new driver arrived more or less on time having flown down that morning, flights being all over the place still from the earthquake. So we set off up the Waipura valley, stopping at Bruce nature reserve catching sight of a rare takahe bird, althouigh one flightless bird looks pretty like another to me I'm afraid!
It had been thought extinct but a small colony had been found deep in some mountain ranges and so they are being bred for re-introduction where possible. Napier was our final stop in a hotel by the sea. Napier is a lovely Art Deco town having been re-built after an earthquake within the space of 2 years from 1931. The whole town lifted about 2 metres which raised an area of flat land that had previously been swamp, allowing the town to expand quite considerably . There are some lovely examples as below one of which survived the earthquake and isn't a re-build, prize for which!!
and some nice art work
We then continued to Lake Taupo, catching sight of 'Mordor' and 'Mount Doom' for lord of the Rings fans
This is the area of major pine tree growth which is a major export from NZ, mainly as logs rather than any processed log products which would give more employment to local people. The trees take about 30 years max to mature and the sites which are very steep get re-planted very quickly
Went on to Huka falls where the river Waikaka leaves the lake, hugely powerful force of water but beautiful colour.
Next stop Roturua.
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