Mud, Glorious Mud*

21 February 2010
Today we decided to go for a walk around the Blue Lake (Tikitapu) and the Green Lake (Rotokakahi) but when we got there at 10.00 the mist from Mount Tarawera (another volcano which last erupted in 1886) had come in over the lakes so they were the Grey Lake and the very Grey Lake. If the sun had been shining they would have been iridescent from the minerals that are dissolved in them.

So instead we went for a walk through the Redwood Grove. The redwoods were experimentally planted about 100 years ago to see which species would grow well in NZ for future forestry. The redwoods grew 3 times faster than in their native California and very impressive they are too. Fortunately the paths were well sign posted so we didn’t take any detours. When we emerged from the forest all the cloud had cleared and it was another beautifully sunny day.
We went onto the Whakarewarewa Thermal Reserve and took a long walk past glooping pools of boiling mud, sulphurous streams and a couple of spectacular geysers. The reserve also has a nocturnal house where it is possible to see kiwis (the birds not the people) and we managed to spot one.


Back to the Love Shack and out onto the lake in Kayaks! Obviously made it safety back as we are blogging this followed by another evening on our deck overlooking the lake – after so many evenings spent in restaurants it’s so lovely for Gregg to cook our own dinner.
As an aperitif we had a glass of Villa Maria Marlborough Pinot Gris 2009 with “wonderful aromas of spice and ripe pear and a luscious dry palate exhibiting baked apple complemented by a rich harmonious finish.” With dinner we had a bottle of Villa Maria Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc 2009 – “a wine of pristine quality - an intense and concentrated vintage overflowing with aromas of passion fruit, lime and gooseberry.” Very nice.