The waters of Taupo

Motuoapa and Taupo, NZ ~ April 2019

I guess I have to work on my self-control. I got halfway through eating my fish and chips before I remembered that I should snap a photo. I still think it looks good, though. A simple, delicious, half-eaten plate of fish and chips. Or as some say, fush and chups. Why? Something to do with the pronunciation compared to an Australian. That sign in the picture was not the advertisement for the restaurant where we ate the fish and chips, but I would definitely have liked to go there to try the nachos!

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Lake Taupo is the largest lake in New Zealand. What did I love about Lake Taupo? It’s like we had the lake to ourselves! Again, hardly any people were around, just a few families taking their boats out, and then sun-glittering peace.

Seriously, there was nobody. It was so nice to take a minute and breathe and listen to the God speak and just be in that moment.

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That was in Motuoapa, on the south side of Lake Taupo. About an hour later, we headed back up to Taupo, on the north east side of the lake, where we ate the fish and chips that I mentioned, followed by coffee. The Coffee Club in Taupo had good vibes and one of the coolest ideas for table order numbers. I think this particular challenge: “The most M&Ms eaten in a minute while blindfolded using chopsticks” should be on everyone’s list for top icebreakers at work. Who wouldn’t want to see their boss struggle with chopsticks while trying to eat round candy coated chocolates all while not being able to see?? I wonder what other feats were on other table order number cards? Like maybe ‘the most mini marshmallows perfectly roasted while blindfolded’ or ‘the most hula hoops hulaed at one time… while blindfolded’. (I should have gone back and ordered more food to find out.)

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After lunch and coffee, we explored a bit of the area around Taupo. First up, Huka Falls. There was some power in these waters! Huka Falls is part of the Waikato River System which supplies water to hydroelectric, geothermal and thermal stations. It is one of the country’s major electricity producing rivers. Under all the white water rapids, the color of the water is an amazing green-blue.

Next up, Wairakei Natural Thermal Valley. We hadn’t planned to stop here, we just saw some signs along the road and decided to check it out. I’m glad we did. We took the self-guided walk around the valley. It was like a secret garden of steam. Here, the earth is steaming and the rocks are singing! Some of the natural formations had been named something fun, like ‘porridge pool’ or ‘dragon’s mouth’.

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There were different little paths to follow, the smell of sulphur strong in some places and not in others. And near the end of the walk, the path wound through a cooler area, with more trees and a little stream. As we got about halfway through this lush little forest, all of a sudden the air started to smell sweet. Apparently there were some grape vines along the path. After the heat of the thermal valley, the sweet aroma of the crushed grapes and the shade of the grape leaves created a refreshing sanctuary and memorable end to our walk.

For the record, that board was already broken before I accidentally stepped through it!

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We rocked dinner that night! One of my favorite ways to spend an evening is cooking with friends. I will try to explain why I like it so much one of these days. There is some tasty chicken under those carrots and onions. I’m glad that I chose to get the Zeffer Cider Co. cider at the grocery store, even though I had never heard of them. It came in a four-pack of assorted flavors and I liked the design of the label. This Apple Crumble flavor was on point!