We are happy to have some rain for the first time since Christmas.
3/31/13
3/30/13
tongariro venting
It's kind of spooky knowing that the smoke is from an active volcano that only erupted a few months ago.
Click here for more information about Mt Tongariro andits eruptions, the latest being November 2012.
3/29/13
tokaanu thermal pools
Tokaanu is in an active volcanic area where very hot water bubbles out of the ground due to volcanic activity.
In many places, cool water is added to the mineral water from the ground and then offered to the public as spa baths. Click here for locations and some history.
The steam from this underground activity is also harnessed for commercial use. Click here for more information.
3/28/13
animals along the way
skittish sheep that had escaped, wild turkeys, friendly chickens at a rest stop, a bull that watched us go by, a scaup duck (black teal) with a sea gull
Along with these animals, we also saw a huge hare, a gorgeous wild rainbow lorikeet and a few hawks.
raetihi international airport
As I was taking this photo across the street and wondering...
Hubby was giggling at this sign behind me.
sheep
You don't think about wool and where it comes from until you come around a corner and see this.
the road we travel
Before I share some of the wonderful scenery that we found on our trip to Taupo, I wanted to give you an idea of the roads we have to travel on. All the photos below are official 'state highways'.
Most are narrow two lane roads with occasional passing lanes on the busier parts. We crossed many one-lane bridges and, yes, some of the roads are gravel! There are not a lot of roads in the country because of the mountainous terrain, so we don't have the luxury of taking 'alternate' routes. It certainly keeps travel interesting :)
3/27/13
3/23/13
800 posts!
It certainly doesn't seem possible that I have shared photographs of NZ with you 800 times since February of 2009. It's true that time flies when you're having fun :)
I still have a lot of New Zealand to show you. Even though some of my photos are the exact same view from the exact same place, I will try to spare you the duplication. But if it's something I really, really like, be forewarned that I might repeat myself anyway.
Here's to another 800 posts!
3/22/13
3/20/13
patiently waiting
I love the sky in this shot. The poor, starving seagull (yeah, right!) was just an extra bit of scenery.
3/17/13
3/16/13
3/14/13
3/12/13
3/9/13
lighthouse in pencil
No, I didn't sketch this in pencil; I used the 'pencil' mode on photoscape.
Weekly Top Shot
