Waiotapu

After collecting some maps from town for the afternoon we headed out on the tourist trail, Waiotapu Thermal Park. After visiting the mud pools we went on to the geyser (which suspiciously fires at the same time each day) and then on to a tour of the large pools of gunk, steaming pits and coloured flats in the rest of the park.
For the afternoon a hill was discovered (Rainbow Mountain) and hence the summit had to be reached. According to the guide book the route to the top was well marked with orange tags. Despite the lack of orange tags (and rainbows) and a brief stop for lunch overlooking a lake we made it to the summit. It was worth the haul as there were some spectacular views of both mountains and teletubbie hobbit hills. On the way down we found all the orange tags, obviously marked on the descent they were on the backs of all the trees. As the hill climb didn’t take long enough we drove on to the Whakarewarewa Forest Park to walk round the Blue Lake with a detour to the Green Lake. Yes, there was a slight difference in colour, but like Rainbow Mountain it was subtle. I’m not sure how often people make use of these tracks we were walking as we kept reaching track closed signs in the other direction. Food that evening was eaten at Capers.  It was so good we popped back the morning after to collect lunch for the next day. The staff were quite memorable, the only one old enough to serve the alcohol had a bit of a Marvin complex “here I am skills to serve a banquet and who do I feed tourons…”. A whole new way to hate your job in a loving it manner.