Friday, 18 Mar - Turangi
It's a wonderful sunny morning and we decide to give the Tongariro Mountains a second look.
On the way an unusual news-item on the radio catches my ear: "Due to thick fog at Wellington airport, all chickens are suspended". Then I realise that's the NZ pronunciation of check-ins but for a moment it conjured up a lovely image of suspended chickens at the airport.
At the mountains there is some cloud but considerable less than yesterday and we decide to go up the mountain by chair lift ($18 each). It's a 20 min gentle ride up and we walk around for half an hour. It's just over 2000 m altitude up here, 900 higher than at Visitor Information and there's some snow around. We have very good luck with visibility so have some great views. There's a bit of sun but suddenly it clouds over so we get the lift back down. Half way down we escape from the clouds again.
Coffee in the cafe close to the chair lift and a chat to an older couple who emigrated from the Netherlands to Australia in 1954.
On the way back we do the Lake Rotopaunamu walk, just off Hwy 47. Plenty of birds singing on the 20 min walk to the lake. Continuous chirping of cicadas. Very peaceful otherwise: in the 6 km we see maybe 6 other walkers. Paddle in the lake. Big contrast between the lakeside sun and cool dank in the bush, occasionally smelling strongly of rotting vegetation. Walking around the lake takes about 2 hours and is very rewarding.
It's still sunny and warm and we treat ourselves to a couple of $2 ice cream cones at the Turangi shopping centre.
As far as meals are concerned, we have a fish and chips relapse. From the Chinese of course, for $6.60.
posted by Mark Smalley @ 5:05 PM
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