So today we awoke to the sound of rain beating down on the roof of the camper. Good start to the day! Unfortunately it didn't get any better the rest of the day as we were drenched with the fine rain that soaks you through. We had planned to do the walking tour from the lonely planet guide but didnt feel too enthusiastic about that idea with the current weather so we opted instead to pay a visit to the local cinema to see 'International' starring Clive Owen. &q...

The first thing you see as you approach Taupo is the huge lake and it is an amazing sight as you come down the highway with forest either side and the huge crystal lake in the background. We only really stopped at the I-Site here as Max and Caroline wanted to find out if they were going to be able to climb one of the nearby mountains, with the bad weather that had been forecast. Anyway, it turns out that the track to the mountain was going to be closed until Sun...