We were up by 7am and ready for breakfast when we discovered the kitchen in our campground was locked. Someone finally woke up the owners but we had decided to forego a hot breakfast and had cereal and toast. Then we set off on Highway 4 for Ohakune and Tongariro National park. The trip was very interesting as it was a very winding and narrow highway. We passed many "slips" or small landslides along the steep route. We had to go by a works crew with a dump truck and front end loader working on one of the slips and both Gary and I were unsure of how safe it was to pass much to the amusement of the workers and a few people along the roadside. As we drove along, we pulled over many times to let people go by the big slow maggot and a few even honked in appreciation. We came to one corner and there was a sign saying watch for the cows. We went around the corner and there right in the middle of the road was a big cow staring us down! We arrived in Ohakune at about noon so had lunch and some huge chocolate eclairs from a small store. We will have to have more tomorrow as they were only $1.60 each. Best bargain in New Zealand!!! Ohakune is a very cozy little town of about 1100 full time residents but is like a ski town in Canada, busy in the winter with skiers and with hikers in the summer. After lunch we went up the slopes of Mt Ruapehu to hike into Waitonga Falls, about a 1.5 hour hike. Was quite a delightful hike. We met up with a couple from Spokane who have a daughter who lives in Ohakune and works as a manager of personnel for the ski hill. We will try to meet up with Karen, Jos Penner's sister to have dinner with her. Will finish this off after dinner. Well, Karen called to say she was busy cleaning her rental for her guests the next day and could we come for a visit before dinner. We walked to her place and had a great visit. She is an amazing lady. Her place burns wood in a couple of wood burning stoves and she had split huge piles of wood to keep the place warm. We left her early as she was quite busy and walked into town to have dinner. It is much cooler here in the mountains and we are all tired after a very busy day. Tomorrow we go to Lake Taupo. The last couple of night we have been staying in a chain of campsites known as Top 10. We are quite impressed with them and the one here in Ohakune is particularly well looked after.