- Chapter 07

Our next destination that we headed to was Lake Taupo. We chose a very family-friendly campground. When we arrived there, we were amazed by what awaited us. From a distance, we could see sheep, peacocks, a pet pig and a cat, some chickens and pheasants. The special thing was that they were all roaming freely. In addition, the campsite owner had three alpacas, a goat, and rabbits. We spent a night there and enjoyed the variety.

Since we wanted to stay at a free campground the next day, we decided to take a look at it first. Not very convinced by the disgusting toilets, we only parked our car there temporarily and set off on foot to the Huka Falls. After a short half-hour walk through the forest, we arrived at a barrier. From there, it would have been another 400m to the destination, but due to construction work, we had to walk along the road for the last stretch. However, it was worth it.

The clear water and the powerful rushing water masses were almost intimidating. It's hard to imagine that jet boating is possible here. We took some pictures and walked along the river for a bit before starting our journey back home.

Next, we headed to Rotorua again. In order to create a bit of Christmas atmosphere, we decided to bake cookies. So we bought all the ingredients for gingerbread, Husarenkrapfen, and cinnamon crescents. Why cinnamon crescents? Because there was no vanilla sugar. So we got to work, armed with a whisk and a cooling rack, as baking sheets are scarce on New Zealand campsites. After a few hours, we were done, and although we weren't completely satisfied with the visual result, they still tasted good.

Next on our agenda was a bit of culture. Therefore, we decided to spend an evening at the Mitai Maori Village. We booked the trip and were picked up by a minibus. When we arrived there, we were seated at the tables and got to know our fellow guests. Afterwards, the traditional earth ovens were presented to us and we learned about the canoes. From there, we went to a river, the Wai-o-whiro, where five Maoris performed a show in such a canoe.

Following that, there was a demonstration showing us what the Maori people spent their time doing. A typical village was also set up, with huts and everything that goes with it. It was very musical, with lots of singing and dancing. They also demonstrated the Maori greeting. You give each other the right hand and touch noses twice. This is supposed to demonstrate the first breath of an encounter between two people. It was especially interesting to observe the energetic fights as well.

Afterwards, dinner was served. The traditional hangi meal. Of course, we tried everything. So we spent a nice evening there. During the last activity, the bush walk, we had the opportunity to admire glowworms. It was a very interesting evening for us.