11 New Zealand - Into the Thick of It

The cog like the ark on the summit of the mountain.

At the summit ridge, the Emerald Lakes which are turquoise colored by the sulfur that is being released.

Yeah, done it. Pretty wet and frozen with a lot of anticipation for a warm shower.

The next highlights and challenges will be 3 of the Great Walks, multi-day hikes, that we have chosen.

The first of these 'Walks' will start tomorrow, called Whanganui Journey and is a 3-day canoe trip of 100 km length through almost untouched nature. We are a bit nervous because the weather forecast is pretty bad, meaning lots of rain. We will probably change our plans from camping to huts, as things can dry better overnight. :-)

The preparations are in full swing.

We are packing supplies, waterproof clothing, and spare clothes into 6 hopefully waterproof barrels.

The North Island of New Zealand is half on the Australian-Indian Plate and half on the Pacific Plate. Along this Ring of Fire, we have been exploring the volcanic activity around Taupo and Rotorua for the past few days.

Champagne Pool, a pool heated from the interior of the earth.

One of the numerous and even free thermal springs with about 45°C hot water

The adjacent river had only 20°C, so you could experience a sauna of a different kind.