Day 5: Setting the bar too high

They say you should start out the new year the way you intend to see it out. Well...

Today I hiked in a redwood forest, climbed down to see a raging waterfall, and closed out the day by swimming in the caldera of a volcano between snowcapped mountains and a cliff face with Māori rock carvings.

Quite frankly I think I set the bar way too high for the rest of the year.

After yesterday's car debacle, I tried to make up for a bit of lost time. There were several places I had wanted to visit in Rotorua yesterday afternoon that I didn't make it to, so I picked one and headed out early this morning.

Having seen the School of Wood Carving at the Māori Institute of Arts and Crafts, I was keen to see the nearby Whakarewarewa Forest. Over 5600 hectares of predominately California Redwood make up this beautiful forest and plays host to all manner of recreational activities.

I picked out a nice easy loop and went for a quick hike, occasionally coming across another hiker and the odd cyclist. It was lovely and cool under the canopy of leaves and, the further in I went, the quieter it got. All you could hear around you were the bird calls and it smelled absolutely lovely - though this may just have been a relief after all the sulphur.

Get ready for photo spam, I like talking photos of trees.

I traipsed around in the woods for an hour or so, completing the track I was on and feeling quite the sprite. I even made friends with the biggest dog I've ever seen. Not big as in scary. Big as in huuuuge. After doing some googling, I think it might have been an English Mastiff. I wish I had asked the owner, I was just so shocked by this big happy dog that came up to my waist.

After the forest, I headed onwards, stopping in first at Huka Falls. When I say that Huka Falls is only 11 metres high, you might be dissuaded from its impressiveness. But trust me. This little fall really packs a punch. Every second, 220 000 litres of water comes flying over the fall. You can just see the power and force of it flying forward. Later in the day, someone told me that they had seen someone kayak over it just yesterday. This is hands down the worst idea I've ever heard.

This was the view from the lookout and I was already quite impressed and happy to leave it there... especially when I say the trail down to is was quite steeply downhill and we all know that means a steep uphill on the return. But I couldn't wimp out after having already started the day with such good hiking intentions, so down I went.

Truthfully, the photos just don't do it justice. The water was just barrelling out of the river. Apparently the flow rate of the water would fill an Olympic pool in just 11 seconds. And isn't that blue water just amazing? I've done some research and apparently the vibrant colour is a combination of the water being so pure and clear + the air bubbles from the fall reflecting the light.

The water for Huka Falls comes via the Waikato River, New Zealand's longest river which flows north from Lake Taupō... so it only makes sense that I, too, move on to Taupō.

This was THE hardest photo to take. What you can't see is the forty-odd people on either side trying to pose with/near/on/in the sign. I took 5 family photos before I got my shot. Bonus parasailer in the sky.

Taupoō was lovely, very beachy and summery, despite not actually being at a beach. I knew that Lake Taupō was New Zealand's biggest lake, being roughly the size of Singapore, but what I didn't actually realise (sorry Mum) is that it's actually formed in the caldera of a volcano. Two thousand years ago the Taupõ volcano erupted in an explosion so big that it could be seen in China and Europe. What has resulted over time is this large lake and a town that has been built along the rim of the caldera. As soon as you know it, it's so very clear to see.

Anyways, scary (but cool) volcano stories aside, I was in Taupō mainly to visit the lake and go on a sailing tour to see some Māori rock carvings that can only be reached by water. I like carvings, I like boats, I like feeling like an old-timey pirate. What's not to love?

Once at the carvings, we had the option to go for a bit of swim. I'm not much of a swimmer - but when was this opportunity going to come again? We were told to just go ahead and jump off the edge. Not likely. The lady next to me and I decided we would go down the ladder. Of she goes, nice and graceful-like. I, of course, put one edge over the railing, slip, and fall right over the edge, unprepared, splash, and sink down way further than I intended.

Oh, and did I mention that this water is both freezing, and crystal clear - so everyone can see me floundering?

I break the surface and a whole boat of people is staring at me. I tried to play it off, say that that's the new rage in diving, didn't they know? But I had gone in with no air and was shocked from the cold so who knows what they heard in all the sputtering.

Anyways, complete lack of grace and style aside, I was in the water and it was great. Freezing, but great.

Tonight's accommodation came complete with mineral pools so, since I was already in the swimming frame of mind* I wandered down. I got in the 'main pool' and oh my goodness, it was wonderful. Like one big bathtub. So warm and cosy. I lazed there for a quite a bit (which is why this blog is going out so late, and I'll regret it with my early start tomorrow) and then I heard whispers of a 'hotter' pool. A hotter pool than this?? Yes. The smaller pool, which you can actually see in front of the photo below**. And yes, it was definitely hotter. And marvellous. I have had sore shoulders all week from the squished plane, and a sore knee from the squished driver's seat (basically, I'm old now and this really did work wonders. Or at least I've convinced myself it has, either way, I'm happy.

*ie. since I'd already squished myself into swimmers, and swimming again was easier than taking them off.

** I didn't want to be the creeper taking photos of people in their bathers so I walked away a bit... then I was the creeper taking photos of people in their bathers while hiding in bushes. Not an improvement...

Animal sightings:

• Need I mention it? Cows.
• What I am affectionally dubbing Volcano Ducks from Lake Taupo
• That huge lovable monstrosity of a dog

Today's Playlist:

• Do Go On: Back to the Future
• Do Go On: McDonald's

Daily Stats:

Kilometres travelled: 98 (557 in total)

Times I hit my head on the van: 1 (5 in total)

Hikes completed: 2
Times I regretted starting the hikes: 6
Photos I took for strangers: 7
Public restrooms used in accordance with my self imposed 'see a bathroom, use a bathroom' rule: 5
Day's biggest win: GIANT BATHTUB, what a revelation
Day's biggest fail: Nearly drowning...in embarrassment