Baby it's hot out there!

Stayed in Taupo last night and will again tonight, likely moving on to Tongariro National Park tomorrow. Tongariro is a vast volcanic wasteland. There is a 19km day hike - the Tongariro Alpine Crossing - that I'd really like to do but I suspect I missed the window to do it safely without winter treking gear (they recommend crampons and an ice ax this time of year). They were saying yesterday that transport providers canceled today and tomorrow's trips due to weather. I'll look into it tomorrow to see what conditions are.  

Lake Taupo is a massive lake in the center of the north island. It formed from 2 huge volcanic eruptions in fairly recent history - i.e. it's the caldera of a super volcano much like Yellowstone but with large quantities of water.  The most recent eruption was some 1800 years ago. There were no people living here at the time (the Maori arrived some 700-800 years ago I believe) but it apparently is noted in Chinese history due to the atmospheric changes that resulted. Evidence of geothermal activity is everywhere. I drove by a massive geothermal power plant this morning - a spiders nest of stainless steel piping with scalding hot warning signs on them. There are random steam vents speckled across the country side.

Short walk to Huka Falls this morning.It is situated on the Waikato - New Zealand's longest river and the source of some 15% of all of the power generated in the whole country. Massive amounts of water funneled through a relatively narrow gorge. Huka is a Maori word meaning "foam" and it is indeed foamy and quite impressive.

May 12: Change of plans. Hard rain made it difficult to get going this morning. Tonight will be quite cold at Tongariro so I think I will stay at least one more night here. Been looking at maybe going to Orakei Korako as a side trip - it is a tourist attraction and I tend to hate those but it looks like it might be one worth seeing will decide later today and head either there or Tongariro tomorrow.