We got up early to make our way to Taupō just in time for our sailing tour of the lake to see the Māori rock carvings that were completed in the 1970s to celebrate the arrival of the Māori to New Zealand. By the time we arrived in Taupō, we had transitioned from late summer into fall. The trees were suddenly starting to change color, and the clouds had moved in. It was a refreshing change – after 5 years in Guam, changing seasons are an occasional, delightful novelty. After a quiet night in the RV, Tim and Amelia went to try their hands at fly-fishing the local rivers, and Duke and I adventured out for a coffee and bakery. After we met up, we visited Huka Falls and Craters of the Moon – a geothermal wonderland of steam vents. It really felt alien.

The next morning, I sent the kids off with a phone and some cash for their own adventure to go find breakfast. They came back with delicious pastries. Tim came back from flyfishing with a beautiful rainbow trout in hand. Then we were off for our appointment with Taupō’s Floatplane. Our pilot, Neil, gave us an aerial tour and then landed near Orakei Korako, another, even trippier geothermal park. The springs there lead out into the river -in the summer people spend an afternoon wake boarding in the river, and then pull their boat over to an eddy where they can soak in the hot water…

We were only in Taupō for two days, but we fell in love….