The only problem with an excellent road map is that you don’t realise when you are close to places, and today we realised that Taupo, Rotorua and their crazy activities were within grasp. So off we went, eagerly checking what would be next, and settling on Quad Biking as a scenic flight around volcanoes just isn’t the same when they (still!) have cloud around them. Opting for the sporty quads we whizzed around the dirt track, down steep hills and through thick bush, until our thumbs could take no more (thumb accelerator = aching thumbs).
The cold night was coming in, so back at Rotorua we headed for the Mitai village to culture ourselves in the Maori traditional canoeing, greetings, songs, dances and of course Haka. The Maoris are also dab hands at cooking too; Hangi is dinner cooked in the smouldering embers of an outdoor fire so that meat falls off the bone, gives it a nice smoky flavour and makes you eat until stuffed. Which we did, mmm!!