Well I should really put a bit of work into this site and keep it updated but you know how it is whnen your travelling, its taken me an hour to find this internet cafe....so here goes..

After landing in Taupo and spending a few days taking in the sights and sounds of the place, I thought I would go off the tourist track a little and go to where not many (Magic bus) tourists have gone before! that is National Park (thats what the place is called and funnily enough it is one!) but more importantly on a whim I decided to get myself to Mount Ruapehu and teach myself to ski properley.

So from Turangi, the town that is the other side of Taupo on lake Taupo I took the once daily shuttle bus to the park, I was the only pasesenger on board for the 30 mile journey. I settled into my home for the next 2 nights and spent all my time chatting to the other guests and discussing in detail what the weather was likely to be like for the next few days On a group visit to various internet sites we concluded it would be fabulous! I went to bed all excited waiting for my first days skiing on a 'real' mountain.......Unfortunately I woke up and it was p!$$&*g it down Undettered I hitched a ride to the base of the mountain Mount Ruapehu (something I have only done one before, but was told it was very very safe to do in this neck of the woods!) and was taken up there by a lovely couple who even offered to give me a life back down again. To cut a long story short the weather there was just the same as in the village, so called it all off for the day and hoped the next day would at least be a bit better!

Woke up the next day, to glorious bue skies and sun YAY!!!!!!!! at last! I spent the full day on the mountain, had a 2 hour ski lesson and only stopped for half an hour to grab a snack before heading off again....absolutley brilliant, this is what I had been praying for! so much so I abandoned my lift from a nice chappy from my hostel and decided to change all my plans and stay and extra night....The next day it was colder, but have now managed to parrellel ski my way down the mountain, from top to bottom, the first time I did it it has to be said wasn't the wisest move of my life as I did it in a 'white out' so I couldn't tell where the ground finished and the air started, it did wonders for controlling my skiing though!

I am absoluetly and totally and utterley ADDICTED!!