Thermal Adventures!

Sunrise from our room.

Digging holes for some new trees.  The soil here is all pumice...  It's like digging in chalk!  Not great soil for growing, but great for drainage.

Ornamental grasses along the driveway.

Picking a grapefruit.

We planted a hedge.  Not impressive yet, but it will be lovely one day, I'm sure.

In the afternoon we went to visit a thermal area.

Even the parking lot was steaming.

I didn't pay enough attention to the signs...  I think this is a silica field?

...and I believe the different colours are caused by algea growth.

That's a big steaming hole behind Chris.

That's the lake we crossed to get to the "hidden valley."

Boiling Mud.

Big cave...

...with warm water.

View out of the cave.

Danger: ZOMBIES!

Peacock just hanging out in the parking lot.

The Honey Hive and Meadery.  Chris tried many meads.  They are sweet, like ice wine.

He ended up buying some clover cream.  A Bailey's like liqueur, made made with honey from bees who collected only from wild, New Zealand clover.

 

Huka Falls.

Very violent!

Long series of rapids before the falls.

That's me on the bridge.

That's Chris looking over the edge.

We found some hot pools in a park, and Chris couldn't resist.

Imagine, having a hot spring in a park like Point Pleasant... just there for anyone who felt like going for a dip.

This one is particularly hot.  Probably around 43 degrees.  But that didn't stop Chris.