Sunday, June 19, 2011

Taupo; The Rainbow Trip

Again I find that I have been ignoring my blog and neglecting you all in the process, but so much has happened in this past month that finding some extra time has proven to be quite difficult.
After my trip to Gizzy, I found that I had been bitten by the travel bug and made plans for another road trip, but this time with all four of us. Keri, Kendal, Lynn and I all rented a car and packed up our tents and sleeping bags and headed out to Taupo home to the north island's biggest lake. We drove down from Auckland on Friday and spent the day enjoying the beautiful scenery and pulling off when ever we found a scenic lookout.
(Lynn walking back to the car)

The drive was especially pretty because it was a sunny/rainy day, and the sky was filled with rainbows. We even ended up staying the first night at the Rainbow Backpackers in Taupo where we went to bed earlly and rested up for an early start the next morning at Taupo's Rockin Rope's Course.
(I'm about to make a jump for the trapeze)
Each of us took at turn at climbing up a wooden log, and then once we got to the top jump from the log and try and catch a trapeze. Both Kendal and Keri caught the bar, but Lynn and I fell unsuccessfully.
We also decided to check out the Huka Falls, one of the most dangerous rapids in the north island.

We spent the rest of the day driving around Taupo and stopping along some of the lakeside beaches. And enjoyed a bit of New Zealand's natural beauty, and sometimes humer.
(Kendal sitting on a bench we found secured to the beach in a rather unlikely location.)
That night we braved the cold and set up our tent in a small camp group about 30 mins outside Taupo. Seeing as it is now winter in New Zealand we were a bit cold, but enjoyed looking at the clear crisp night sky and moon that hovered of the lake. The next day we woke up for some breakfast, and learned that Taupo happened to be the most affordable place to skydive in the entire country. Seeing as how none of my friends had yet to take their 12,000ft plunges, and that this would probably be the only time I get to go skydiving with four of my best friends for a reasonable price at a safe and beautiful locations in New Zealand, I decided that I simply must take advantage of this opportunity and dove from the sky once again!
(From left to right: Kendal, Keri, Lynn, Me)
Unfortunately by the time our diving experience was over it was time for us to head back to Auckland. But don't feel to badly for me having to leave Taupo on Sunday because we spent that evening watching the sunset at Piha one of New Zealand's black sand beaches.

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