On to the lake!

I was thinking about getting up early and seeing some more sights around Rotorua, but instead i decided to get up around 9, so i wouldn't have to scrape the ice off my car windows, and just drive and see what i came across on my way out to lake taupo.
And i finally got to see some of the famous New Zealand landscape! Which consisted mostly of large hills, and sheep! lol This was one of the smaller rolling fields. Though i did come across a golf course, and i'm pretty sure that they were letting the sheep out on the course just to save money on the greens keeper fees. I also have to say though that the course seemed more chopped out of the side of the mountain than anything else, i dunno if a lawnmower woulda worked on it! I was also able to stop at a few other places that kinda caught my interest. There was the natural hotspring were you could bathe, well, after the water had been filtered and let cool for a bit, it was somewhere around 250 degree F. I forget what it is celsius, still pretty dang hot i bet. Well, a picture is worht a thousand words, here's some from my drive down. And you will have probably guessed it already, but i survived my driving experience, The roundabouts where the toughest, but i persevered!





Me at the golf course










I realize now i've totally left this windbreaker i'm wearing somewhere at the lake. But that was Rainbow Mountain behind me. It's got a myriad of colors due to the geothermal activity and mineral content.

The car on the left is mine, the car on the right is just like it. Both rental company cars, from the same place. What are the odds? lol, almost had to check the license plate numbers! I was driving a Ford Echo? or somethign Echo anyway. A four door speck. the hills that led to the golf course, i never got it out of third gear, I wouldn't have made it up the hill!

Driving through this valley, this creek comes from a geothermal hot spring, and the steam comes off of it all the way down the valley. This is the view from a top of the hill. Pretty cool stuff, but on the road it's like driving through fog in the sun!

Wallabees vs The All Blacks

So we had some free beer vouchers for this place called "The Pig and Whistle". I figured that they thought giving some free beer vouchers to the backpackers at the hostel would be a good way to make some dough, cause most people don't stop with just one beer. They buy more. BUT me and my new Canadian friend had some "extra" beer vouchers from others who didn't want to go. And wouldn't you know it? The New Zealanders were playing the Australians in a big rugby match that night. It was a good time to be out watching the game, not to mention finally somewhere warm!
Though these people know nothing about heat conservation, they use space heaters and the bouncers leave the bloody doors open for ten minutes while checking people's ID's! Get's freaking cold. Which is why i posted up right next to the space heater, pretty sure my jeans have some scorch marks, but it's totally worth it.
Also good to have some company. The Canadian ( i don't know his name, i'm not sure if we ever introduced ourselves lol) was in his early 60's just visiting a step daughter and doing some traveling on his own. A nice bloke, a lot of fun to talk to, he's had some interesting experiences and a very colorfull family. We had a few things in common, and to me, it seemed that i've learned a lot in a rather short time that took this man a number of years. So i've sorta got a head start.
Rugby! Oh man is that game cool or what? It's defenitly not for the faint of heart, there are even times when i watch it that i cringe! Hard hitting action, and no pads on those guys. Also, being stuffed in a bar like anchovies, with the cold outside, and the excitement inside, defenitly a good place to be. It was a lot of fun cheering on the All Blacks. And it was a heck of a close game as well. I'd explain it all to you, but hell, i barely know the major rules or rugby myself!
All Blacks where able to hold off the Wallabees with their strong defence, but it was a cliffhanger there for a while.
Walking back to the hostel was even better, the place clearing out pretty much all at once, the cold air hitting you full force in the face, but I was totally ready to get to bed, get up early and get down to Lake Topoa and do some fishing!!!!!!!!!!!!