The Desert Road, is part of the main route (State Highway 1) through the North Island of New Zealand. The road which parallels Mts Ruapehu and Ngauruhoe for about 45 minutes driving time provides travellers with magnificent views of the two mountains.
Summertime view
Mount Ruapehu, 9,125ft. Our roadside stop for lunch and as I had my camera handy???
On Christmas eve 1953 the crater lake burst down the mountain at near midnight. The lahar hit a railway bridge some 5 miles downstream just as a passenger express train arrived at the bridge. The engine and some of the the leading carriages fell into the river with a loss of 151 lives. Ruapehu is a live volcano and in 1996 the skifields on the mountain had to be closed because volcanic eruptions made the fields unusable.
A days return tramp from the Chateau on the slopes of Ruapehu out of picture to left of screen. This is an active volcano which, although quiet at present, from time to time makes a spectacular showing when it comes to life.
A scenic stop on the Taupo to Napier road. I had to stop here and add a little of my water to these falls which I renamed "Waipati" (Pats water). The purple heather was in bloom presenting a lovely view.