NZ 20 North - OHAKUNE to TAUPO

Sun. Feb. 18th,2007: Ohakune - Mt. Ruapehu - Whakapapa - Taupo.
After breakfast (selfmade as we are in Holiday Park) we drove up the mountain road from Ohakune near to the Ski resort, enjoying excellent sunny weather, so we could even view Mt. Egmont (this time really Egmont) from there. Being just below Mt. Ruapehu at his southern face he showed quite some snow, the ski slopes though, consist of vulcanic stone fields. Then we went back down to the start of the WAITONGA FALLS TRACK - 1,7 hours through cosy woods up to an alpine swamp meadow with excellent look to Mt. Ruapehu, then down to the falls, who at this time had few but nice water falling down. After we drove down via Okahune to WHAKAPAPA Village, up the street to the ski resort there with lifts and same here, stone fields. Back to the local CHATEAU hotel (like 'Panhans') we had a short lunch and then started the famous TARANAKI FALLS roundway, which turned out to be quite exhausting - hot in the sun and steep to the (magnificent) falls. You also have many nice views to Mt. Ruapehu's north side, as well as the gigantic vulcano (cone shaped) Mt. NGAURUHOE (dont ask me, how to pronounce it), as well as the third active vulcano there, Mt. TONGARIRO. Finally, we returned quite tired to the car (2,5 hours) and drove along lake Taupo to TAUPO, where we landed again at the local Holiday Park... oh, how we enjoyed to go to bed today !!!