Taupo to Wellington

We spent the night in Taupo, the town on Lake Taupo. Taupo is home to some large lake trout and fishing is a big deal here. We stopped in Turangi at the National Trout Center, with its interesting museum of fly fishing in New Zealand, a hatchery operation and the chance to throw food pellets at some gigantic Rainbows living in the river (a no-fishing protected area like the spot on the Henry's Fork where we always stop and feed the trout.)

We then drove into Tongariro National Park, the home to three large volcanoes. Our plan was to ride the gondola up the largest of the volcanoes BUT the weather was very windy and the tops of the mountains covered in clouds. We tried to eat at the cafe only to discover that it had been condemned (?). One of the Whakapapa visitor's center's rangers was from a nearby town so we drove on to Ohakune and had lunch at the Utopia Cafe.

We then drove down to Wellington, the capital of New Zealand, and the third largest city in the country. Fun facts: Wellington is the world's southernmost capital of a sovereign state and is the world's windiest city by average wind speed. It is a natural harbor protected on three sides by land and offers beautiful views.

We spend the night at the Raumati "Resort", a nice motel on Raumati Beach and have dinner at the Waterfront, a beach-front restaurant that reminds us both of Half Moon Bay.

The view out to Kapiti Island

The drive to Wellington