Week 18 - Of Gannets and Taupo

The first week of September started off with a real highlight. We had booked a tour to the world's largest gannet colony on the mainland. We were driven by a 4WD bus through one of the largest privately managed nature reserves in New Zealand, until we arrived at the colony at the top of Cape Kidnappers after more than an hour. Several hundred of the birds were waiting for us right at the cliff. The animals were indifferent to our presence, allowing us to admire their behavior. It was truly unique to be able to observe the birds so closely as they brought seaweed for nesting, stole parts of nests from each other, and repeatedly flew out towards the sea. The scenic landscape at this cape only added to the experience, and time flew by. Franzi was able to take countless beautiful pictures.

Also interesting were the additional insights our lovely guide Jan shared about the nature reserve and local history. This truly large area has had various owners over the last few decades. Currently, it is managed by three individuals who farm substantial land with cows and sheep. Additionally, large areas have been reforested to generate income from forestry. There is also a luxury lodge on the property that offers everything a wealthy guest could desire, with prices reaching up to €900 per night. Additionally, there is a golf course that has repeatedly been voted one of the best in the world. After all, a significant amount of money has been invested in nature conservation, and this established and fenced area is considered one of the best in all of New Zealand. Many Kiwis live here, and the last 'dinosaur', the Tuatara, was also introduced here. Side fact: the owners paved the road to the golf course at their own expense, investing 15 million NZD.

Overall, it was truly a special excursion that was definitely worth the money and will remain in our memories for a long time.

On Tuesday, we woke up to a view of the sunrise over the sea. Other than that, it was a day of rest and relaxation for us. We moved our overnight spot once again to Napier and took a leisurely stroll along the promenade.

Eventually, we headed away from the coast and Napier a bit further inland, where we embarked on a wonderful hike in the Boundary Stream Reserve to Bells Rock. The impressive sandstone formations were definitely worth the trek. For the night, we aimed for a campsite right by Lake Tutira.

After a short walk by the lake and a quick stop at the White Pines Bush Reserve, we drove all the way to Taupo.

Our first hike took us to the Huka Falls. These waterfalls are particularly known for having about 200,000 liters of water cascading down every second. In one minute, that's as much water as fits in five Olympic-sized swimming pools.

Next, we headed to the botanical garden of Taupo. However, this turned out not to be a real highlight. Some of the trees were already showing their beautiful blossoms, though.

Overall, we can tell that winter is slowly behind us. Since September 1, spring has officially begun here, and the first days have also been correspondingly warm and sunny. The first trees are noticeably starting to bloom, and we are already looking forward to when spring truly kicks in while autumn is taking hold in Germany.

To conclude Friday, we visited the Craters of the Moon, a small geothermal park. Here, we walked along the nicely laid path, passing various steaming geothermal springs. The most impressive was a loud roaring hole from which steam was being blown out with great pressure.

As the next nights are expected to be frosty, we decided to stay in a hostel again, this time in a double room, as it was only minimally more expensive than the 10-bed dorm.

Saturday started off quite rainy, so we used the hostel's Wi-Fi and took another walk around the small town of Taupo.

This morning, we took a short hike right along the lakeshore on the Rangatira Point Walking Track. After a few errands in town, we explored another 'highlight' of Taupo, the 'World's coolest McDonald's'. Here, you can enjoy your fries, coke, and burger inside an airplane, which Julian didn't want to miss. At least Franzi got an ice cream.