Day 7 - Trains, Triumphs and Thermal Underwear

Today started with breakfast, more stories, and afterwards some extra items… Neville shows me his shed with the partially dismantled railway layout that was the start of all this - the one shown in Meccano Magazine in 1963 that caused me to get my dad to get in touch with him, and he happened to be on a trip through the UK so dropped in. The posters from the Moscow trip are still on the walls in here. Then there's the live steam prototype - Lady Angela! - and the ongoing Royal Scot project. Top guy. I just hope there's time to finish them! Of course, yesterday we saw the convertible Triumph Herald, the relative of the Standard 10 which completed the Mobilgas Economy Run in 1957 at 41.81 mpg. Excellent.

And then it's goodbyes, after we've collected some veg and tomatoes, had another picture or two, and promised to come back! off to Hobbiton - maybe. Except it turns out that's 2+ hours including a sheep shearing demo, and really - we can't be done with that. So from there we set off towards Rotorua, hot mud capital of the universe.

Rotorua IS smelly, don't let anyone tell you different. It's also really really hard to get to a hot mud spot, they've all been turned into spas, and the last thing we want is a spa. We just wanna see some hot mud action!!! Bah… After a coffee in Ricky's Bakery and Cafe (Breakfast All Day, but we make do with buns), we head out to Waimangu, just south of here. It's reputedly less touristy, which suits us fine. 

And so it turns out - Waimangu became an active geo-thermal spot in 1886, and is still adjusting, so is a fantastic learning place. You walk for 4 km down through the valley, and it's just our sort of thing. Great views, brilliant colours, and hardly any tourists! We even do the tough over-hill walk, but that leaves us fairly short of time to make it down tot he lake to catch the last bus. Jen shows her mettle, and rips it up, allowing us to make it with 10 minutes to spare. Then of course there's a walk around the gift shop…

We stop for a cup of tea and snack on the road to Taupo, this is a last resort, it's probably 6ish. No lunch! Carry on to Taupo, park at the DeBrett's Thermal resort park (good deal! $20 each, free showers, cheap washing machine, so we do loads and even dry it, all the washing up stuff taken care of - lovely!) with a view across the lake, cook up a storm of eggs, cheese and assorted veg omelettes, with 1/2 cup of beer cos that's the booze we have (despite my DEMANDING it!!), then sit for 2 hours deciding what to do tomorrow. God it's hard. And now it's defo time for bed.

G'night! Very quiet here… except someone is making a kind of drum noise. Grrr.