2-3/8/03
TAUPO, CENTRAL PLATEAU
Team S.P.A.M. expanded when we got to Taupo.
Sula and Suzi were two English girls who just kept following
the same New Zealand route as sam, paul, and i.
i met sula up in Auckland at Downtown Backerpackers Auckland
on
Constitution Hill.
we met again at Hot Rock backpackers rotorua,
and when we all found ourselves at Berkenhoff Lodge in Taupo,
we knew it was meant to be.
Sula had bought herself an old 1984 honda (The Blue Beast) -
so we decided to caravan for the next month through the North and
South Islands.
The 'family' was complete.
The drive into town brought us past the gushing Huka Falls
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raging rapids regulated by a hydroelectric plant upriver.
Suzi, the daredevil, went skydiving -
while the less adventurous of us went sailing on a boat called Barbary,
a 15m racing yacht once owned by old time actor Errol Flynn,
but now captained by an entertaining old fellow named Bill.
The sail on Lake Taupo (the largest lake in New Zealand) was spectacular.
we got awesome views of Mt. Tongariro and got a close up view
of some Maori rock carvings (only accessible by boat).
we also saw some local maori folk taking a cultural practice run
on a war waka (canoe).
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Huka Falls
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sailing on the Barbary
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barbary bill, the captain
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the Barbary on the water (not my photo)
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Maori Culture
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Maori rock carving
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waka on Lake Taupo
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