We find ourselves back in Thames, New Zealand. We’ve spent the better part of a week in a bach (‘batch’, or cottage) at Hot Water beach. Can’t remember if I wrote of it before… However, there are some spots on the beach near some rocks where thermal undercurrents under the sand heat up water flowing through it, so you can dig a shallow pool for two or three people to relax in. Some areas have water well up[ in these pools that is scaldingly hot and certainly to be avoided (!). But a lovely thing to try anyway. We took the kids out a few days ago for a pony ride through the countryside. Carrie and I were given the leads for two small ponies and vaguely given some directions to walk through some fields and a bit of forest, and then waved off by the proprietor. All over NZ we’ve encountered situations in which you are assumed to know what you’re getting into and given the rein to do so (no pun that day, included). Quite refreshing really, given the range of often insane precautions we Canadians put before ourselves back home in all walks of life. We walked down to Caledral Cove yesterday and had a wonderful swim in the surf. We sat on a tiny narrow-gauge railway line and tootled around like the tourists we are, through some forest and up a hill, but had a grand time.
In a day or two we are off south a bit (still North Island), in a loop to Waitomo (where we’ll see glow worms in a cave), then Lake Taupo (where I hope to do the Tongarirto Alpine crossing hike), then over to Rotorua (where there’s some other tourist stuff like mud pools and such), and wind uo back in Auckland seven days from now.
Carrie is rightfully anxious to post to her blog. Its been tricky getting images up in her blog, but we’ll give it a real shot today.
Here are some more images from recent travels:
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