Last pool

After walking beside the lake a bit on a cloudy morning we set off north.  The weather improved when we got to Parakai NW of Auckland.  We stayed at a camp ground for once as it was beside the pools and gave half price entry.  Unfortunately it was packed!!!  Not so relaxing.

Can you see me?  You can click on the photos to enlarge - you might spot me then!!!

On to Taupo

The next day was dullish but there were sunny intervals.  We went to DeBretts (we went there with you Janet and Michael) for a soak.  Jo and Al headed off west, we looked round the town.

Sideways again

 

not too crowded - compare this to the following day!

 

Morning walk around the lakeside the following morning

 

Glass sculpture, Lake Taupo

Back to those pools

The next day was sunny.  We went for an amazing walk with Jo and Allistair through a thermal valley, then went to the Polynesian Spa in the afternoon.

Steaming Cliffs

 

Steaming couldron

 

Volcanic activity

 

Lake at the end of the walk

 

Polynesian Pools with Jo Allistair and Malcolm

 

Pretty relaxing!

A dry day!

This is a day with no hot pools!!  We drove by car to look around McLaren Falls Park which has a huge lake and other areas.  The trees were doing their spring blossom thing - very pretty.  We arranged to meet up with friends in Rotorua but as we drove there we left the sun behind.  We decided to give the pools a miss.

Blossom, ducks...

 

kowhai, ducks...

 

Whoops - this was the previous day

 

 

This place was an arboritum - this looks like it's from Canada or Scandinavia

 

Lots of blossom!

Hot pools day 4

After Waihi we drove to Tauranga and parked near the marina on a grassy area - where we parked last trip.  We took the car to Mt Maunganui and walked around the base of the mountain then had a soak in the salt water hot pools.  These pools are excellent and a great view too.

On the walk around Mt Maunganuui

 

Soaking in the pools

Day 3

Waihi Beach from outside the bus

Waihi Beach

Me at Athernree pools near Waihi Beach

Day 3 we were going to do a walk around the Miranda wetlands but it was grey and dull so we drove SE to Waihi Beach.  The weather improved and we walked up and down the beach then went for a soak at some little thermal pools nearby.

Hot Pools day 2

The next day we drove to the Firth of Thames and parked at Miranda, looking across to the Coromandel Peninsula. We sampled the hot pools, particularly like the really hot sauna pool.

View from the bus (tide out)

 

The torso-man in the sauna pool

A hot pool loop

School holidays - Spring? - we set off to do a hot pool circuit.  First we went south of Whangarei  about  an hour and a half to Wenderholm, a reserve on the coast adjacent to Waiwera where we went to our first pools.  Nice camping place and good pools - very relaxing.

Whoops - sideways

 

Like the dwarf look?

 

 
                      Malcolm holds up a tree

Camped at Wenderholm

 

Sideways evening shot by estuary

 

Next morning - walk around headland

 

Native NZ spring flowering tree called kowhai

 

Malcolm on the headland walk