28.12. Hastings, Cape Kidnappers, Lake Taupo, 26 degrees, sunny, 180km

Today we have to get up early because we have to be at the meeting point for our tour at 9:00 am. The tour to Cape Kidnappers, to a gannet colony. We start at 9:45 am on trailers pulled by tractors. The tour goes along the beach. The tractors drive partly through the water, partly over the rocks and stones. In between, the driver explains the geological history of this coast. We pass impressive rock formations. The sea is calm and has a green-blue color. After about 1 hour of driving, we are almost at our destination. We get off and hike up to the gannet colony for about 30 minutes. Many nests, many chicks, and even more gannets. The view over the bay is also fantastic. The adventurous return trip starts around 12:45 pm. Tractors and trailers sink quite deep in the water. Occasionally, one of the 6 tractors gets stuck. We arrive at the starting point around 1:30 pm. We stay in the cafe until about 4:00 pm, then we continue our journey to Lake Taupo. The lake was formed after a volcanic eruption and is the largest lake in New Zealand. Dinner in a park near the dumping station. In Taupo, we can't find a parking spot as many motorhomes are on the road. In Acacia Bay, 6km from Taupo, we find a nice camping spot right on the beach. We are immediately greeted by black swans.