We rented a home through airbnb for the weekend. We've found that this is our best option for our family when traveling…it's cost effective and comfortable…win win. Our home was walking distance from Lake Taupo and in a cute little neighborhood lined with trees and orange, blue, yellow, and bright pink flowers blossoming all over. Taupo has a fun downtown area with lots of restaurants and shops. It seems to be a great touristy place, but luckily it wasn't a busy weekend. Rain was forecasted all weekend, but thankfully the weather was just chilly with a little sprinkle here and there.
Saturday morning we took our kayaks to Lake Taupo. Cody & Mike took the kids out on the lake for an adventure while Lois & I hit up a local outdoor market. The vendors were all so friendly and we loved seeing what they were selling. We bought some oranges, wooden spoons, and hand knitted Barbie clothes for Reese's birthday. The rest of the crew enjoyed being out on the lake and came across a mother duck and her little ducklings, swans, and a nest full of little hatchlings.
After the kayakers were done, we headed to Spa Park. Taupo and the Rotorua areas are famous for their hot springs. We definitely wanted to experience this on our trip. So we asked around and read in our book about Spa Park. We parked in the car park and took a path down to a gorgeous view of a small lake with surrounding greenery. The first hot spring we came across was a bit crowded so we took the trail a little further and found another more secluded one. It had a few people in it and as soon as they saw our group of small kids, they were soon out and onto the next =) So, we were lucky to have the entire spot to ourselves! The temperature was a bit chilly outside, so we were hesitant to undress, but boy were we happy when we did! The hot spring was unreal! It was a hot water waterfall flowing into a small little spa area….all natural. Steam was rising from the hot water and it made for the perfect place to relax and get warm. The kids loved wading the water. The water was so hot that we made sure to get out and cool off so we all wouldn't over heat. We loved it! I love the beauty and wonders of the earth and God's creations.
We still had some time in our afternoon so we headed to the famous Huka Falls. Oh my…so pretty! The water flowing through Huka Falls is a bright turquoise and so gorgeous! The water flows so fast and forcefully that it is quite the scene. Below the falls people can pay to go on jet boats that get right near the falls and ride through the white water. It was a fun sight to see. We stayed there for quite a while, marveling at the beauty of the area. We were all so relaxed and refreshed after our hot dip and Huka beauty, that we just wanted food in our bellies and home. We found a yummy Thai place in town and had a delicious meal. We got back to our place and showered and played a few rounds of Cody's family's favorite game…Wow. Our kids have sure gotten good at it over the past few months. It's been a fun pastime of ours lately.
Sunday morning, we headed to a local Mormon church for Sacrament meeting. We love traveling all over New Zealand and meeting new people and feeling their testimonies. We changed and headed to Aratiatia Dam. We walked to the viewpoint and watched the water shoot out of the dam. We ate a picnic lunch and enjoyed the view. We said our goodbyes to Granna & Poppa and headed home. But, we made one last stop along the way. We stopped in Matamata to look at a Hobbit House from Lord of the Rings. The kids thought it was pretty cool and got them even more excited to visit Hobiton someday. We had a great weekend and loved visiting fun new places! And we especially loved sharing in the memories with Granna & Poppa...it was a great trial run for our 10 day South Island trip coming up after Christmas with them =)
Here's a link to the movie from our fun weekend:
Love these pictures!! I also love that Granna & Poppa get to be close to at least you guys!
ReplyDelete