We checked out of our motel this morning and drove into Taupo for 9.30am. After checking our reservation had been accepted for a sailing trip with the Barbary yacht we wandered around the quay looking at all the boats.
This was one of the first things to catch my eye, the nicest public waste bin I've ever seen.
These colourful boats were all set up for paraplegic sailors. They had single or twin sling seats, with all sheets taken back to the seat, and simple tiller steering in front of the seat. When we returned later they were all out sailing on the lake.
Our boat, the Barbary, was built in California in 1928 and had done various sailing trips, including a spell protesting with Greenpeace in NZ, before being totally wrecked in a storm off of Auckland. Bought by a local man who had restored it, it now works as a commercial vessel in the lake, taking visitors to see the modern Maori carvings. Our captain was Sarah who was born in Taupo but has sailed all over the world.
The carvings were done by a local man, plus some friends and art students in 1979. At the time many local inhabitants considered them as graffiti, and it was the original owner of Barbary, who started taking tourists to see them whilst sailing on the lake, that changed that viewpoint.
Now the carvings, a flat section showing a Maori face plus more carvings on the side rocks showing lizards and mermaids, are famous and several boats and kayak operators run trips out purely to see them (they can only be seen from the water). Apparently one of the original carvers is not very happy about this, but it was unclear whether this was because it felt that the original purpose of the carvings was lost, or whether it was because others were making money from them and he wasn't.
This was one of the other tour boats, a reproduction steam boat. There was one other sail boat doing tours, the Fearless, but the Barbary got our vote as it was fitted with an electric motor. Sadly on our trip there was little to no wind so, even though the sails were up, we had to motor the entire way. At least the engine was incredibly quiet and there were no diesel fumes.
After seeing the carvings a couple of the younger people on board had a swim round the boat, Mick and I just enjoyed ourselves.
Then, while Sarah made tea and coffee for everyone, Mick steered the boat back. I knew he would end up crewing the boat!
Back in the car we drove south towards the Tongariro National Park, getting more views of 'Mount Doom'. We drove to Whakapapa (pronounced Fack a papa), then up further to a ski resort area.
Unlike other ski resorts we've seen out of season this one had no tame grassy slopes between buildings, but sharp piles of volcanic rock! The scenery looked like something you would expect more on the moon, utterly desolate with enormous sheer cliffs.
We clambered up a slope for another view of our favourite volcano, ate our picnic lunch, then drove away.
On our way to our final stop (a lovely bach overlooking the river) we stopped to see where the railway follows a spiral track to get up a steep hill in a relatively short distance. Alas, there was nothing to really see as the track was invisible behind the trees.
Our home for the next three nights is a simple bach, built at the back of the garages of the owners, Charlie and Nadine. They are wonderfully welcoming, and we have a view over the river (complete with trout fisherman and ducks), a BBQ and a rocking chair on the terrace. We bought supplies at a local shop, barbecued some salmon, and intended to spend tomorrow doing very little!!
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