We decided to head to Taupo, after Tongariro was closed due to the weather. Taupo is a small town which is dominated by Lake Taupo, which is the largest freshwater lake in Australasia. We had a bit of lazy day, just walking around the town and had a drink overlooking the lake.

The next day, we headed to our next stop, Rotorua, following the Thermal Highway. We stopped off at the Craters of the Moon, which was a small geothermal park. We saw loads of fumeroles, which are holes where gases and steam escape, as well as craters, which have been formed when the fumeroles erupt. It was really interesting, if not a little bit smelly, from the Hydrogen Sulphide (bit like rotten eggs!)! We then carried on along the Thermal Highway and called into Te-Whakarewarewatange-o-te-ope-taua-a-wahiao (uprising of the war party Wahiao) - Wahiao was the warrior chief of the tribe. This thermal village is still occupied by the locals. We walked around the local shops and church and around the thermal pools. We even tried sweetcorn which was cooked in one of the thermal pools, which was really tasty and surprisingly didn't taste like the water smelt! We decided to treat ourselves to a packet of the mud for a face mask, as the mud is supposed to be very good for the skin! We now look 10 years younger! The villagers have communal baths that they fill in the morning and the water cools until 5.30pm, when the village closes to tourists, and they then take their bath in the healing waters! The biggest attraction here, though, is the Pohutu geyser (Big splash) which erupts 10-20 times a day and holds the record for the longest eruption, which lastest 15 hours! That night we went to the Polynesian Spa, for a relax in the thermal pools. They ranged in temperature from 38 - 42 degrees and are good for the skin and muscle and joint pains - which is good as Laura has had poorly knees!