Tongariro

At the center of the North Island is a set of volcanoes in the Tongariro National Park, which is also a UNESCO world heritage site.  We spent a day driving around (counterclockwise) the park.  Lake Taupo in the foreground and Tongariro in the distance.

Driving up to the plateau looking back at Lake Taupo.

The juxtaposition of a palm tree and volcano releasing steam.

Tongariro.  Two nights before we arrived in the mountains, there was a large snow that covered the mountain.  Talking to locals, this was the first time the snow was heavy enough to cover the entire top of the mountain.  We were witness to a rare event....and on a cloudless sunny day!

There is a famous hike called the Tongariro Alpine Crossing which was snow covered.  Something to do when I come back during a summer vacation.

Lunch spot with Mt. Ruapehu in the background.  Tongariro, at the north, is the catch all for three peaks.  The middle is Ruapehu.

The southern most peak, Ngauruhoe.

So New Zealand towns love celebrating their specialties with gigantic statues of that item in which they take pride.  This town, settled by Chinese immigrants, is the carrot capital of New Zealand.

The east side of the mountains as the sun set.

That evening, we drove to the town of Napier on the eastern coast of the North Island to stay an evening with a friend of Carlos.  It was the first game of a huge set of matches against rival Australia.  We watched it with locals at a bar.

New Zealand IS known for its sheep.

Carlos' friend John and his family.  He's a urologist from Oregon.  Because there are only 6 urologists in all of New Zealand, one of them went on maternity leave and so New Zealand runs a program to import doctors to fill in when there is a need.  So, that's why they are here for six months.

Our last day on the North Island was spent hanging around Napier with John and then driving to Wellington to catch our 130AM ferry to the South Island.  However, along the way we stopped in Palmerston North (there is a Palmerston on the South Island, I found it on the map!) at the Rugby Museum.

Ok, actually, just the gift shop.  Eleni and Mario have All Blacks rugby's on the way!  Wear with pride.

Why are we stopping at a garbage dump in Palmerston North?

Legend has it that the famed Monty Python star John Cleese once insulted the town of Palmerston North (he called it boring), so the city apparently named it's dump pile after him.  Although the "recovery park" was locked and closed, we could see in the distance this pile, which Carlos and I will, in our minds, believe is the infamous Mr. Cleese.