Where's A Family Truckster When You Need One?

Saturday

Cerine's Lord of the Rings fandom played a large part in deciding where we went on the one weekend when we'll all be here. The River Anduin in The Fellowship of the Ring was portrayed on several different rivers in New Zealand, but the Rangitikei River near Taihape (between Taupo and Wellington) features some of the more iconic spots in the movie. Unfortunately, that meant driving four hours south of Tauranga. We thought briefly about taking two separate cars, but figured the logistics of trying to stay together on twisty two-lane roads was more trouble than it was worth. There was no way we could fit all of our luggage in the back of the rented Corolla, so all six of us crammed into our Camry and hit the road.

Packed like happy sardines...for now

The direct road to Rotorua is finally open again after the rockfall, but taking it probably wasn't a great idea in hindsight. Much of the road was still under construction, and getting jostled along a dirt road four abreast in the backseat can't have been comfortable for the girls.

Eager to stretch our legs, we stopped at Kuirau Park in Rotorua. The sulfur smell hit us like a slap in the face when we got out of the car, but hey, that's what Rotorua is all about, right? The ladies headed for the loo as Mark, Carver, and Ro started exploring the bubbling mud pools, fumaroles, and steaming lakes. We briefly stopped by the pools where you can soak your feet, one of which was too hot for comfort, and the other was crowded with Japanese tourists.

Cerine & Ro in Rotorua

Carver & Ro strolling through Kuirau Park

Ro likes anything resembling hot lava

Sherry getting a free steam bath

Ooooo...it burns my toes!

There was a farmer's market next to the park today, with a nice playground nearby for Ro to burn off some pent-up energy. There was a huge rope climbing frame made to look like a suspension bridge that could probably never be built in the USA for liability reasons, but Ro naturally loved it. Carver and Mark were more interested in the food stands at the market and picked up some hot lamb kebabs for just NZ$1 each.

Ro heading for the top

We all eventually met back at the car, where Sherry had broken out the snacks we brought. Norma and Carver probably would rather have waited to eat until we were somewhere other than next to a steaming sulfur pool, but when Ro says he's hungry there's a narrow window of opportunity. As we traveled out of town, everyone in the car except Mark (the driver) fell asleep. The nap wasn't long enough for Ro, unfortunately, who woke up ill as we arrived at Huka Falls.

Norma thought the brilliant aqua color of the rapids above the falls looked like glacier water. Always impressive, Huka Falls is the most visited natural attraction in a land full of natural attractions. Ro was in a better mood once he found a steep hill near the falls to climb. He was also pretty jazzed at seeing the Huka Falls Jetboat do a 360 in the water below the falls, just like we'd done in Fiji. We had a brief nervous moment as we gathered back at the car and realized none of us had the keys! Fortunately, they'd only been left on a shelf in the pay toilet, not in the car...or the river.

Huka Falls

The Hills at Huka Falls, just barely visible behind us

Norma giving Ro a helping hand

Above the raging Waikato River

Eager to get to our destination, no one except Mark wanted to stop in the town of Taupo (there's an All Blacks store there, remember?), so we continued along State Highway 1 clockwise around Lake Taupo towards Tongariro National Park. The road turns away from the lake at Turangi and soon becomes the Desert Road as it crosses the Rangipo Desert. The road was easily the curviest desert road we've ever seen, twisting through numerous gullies, and the desert was actually carpeted with vegetation. Living on a windblown volcanic plateau, all the plants were basically two different shades of brown grasses, giving the land a desolate, speckled appearance. This is where the Black Gate scenes from LOTR were filmed.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rangipo_Desert

We stopped at a roadside picnic table, thinking we would finish the snacks we'd packed, but the idea was quickly vetoed by the non-LOTR fans in our group. The blustery, chilly plateau, which had just been covered in snow a week ago, was not conducive to a pleasant picnic. Before packing back into the car, we did get a chance to savor the impressive views of Mount Ruapehu and Mount Ngauruhoe (i.e. Mount Doom). There was an abrupt change in the landscape as we left the plateau, returning to the rolling, green, sheep-inhabited hills typical of the North Island.

Mt Ruapehu, tallest mountain on the North Island

We passed the NZ Army Museum; Ro's request to stop (upon seeing the armored vehicles outside) wasn't seconded by anyone else, so we continued on to the quaint town of Taihape, the "Gumboot Capital of the World." About 15km south of town, just past the crest of a hill, we turned onto a gravel drive marked by a small sign for Cairnmuir Cottage, our destination for tonight at least. We wound past the innkeeper's house and through a couple of sheep paddock gates along the potholed road. We were all surprised by the house on a hill that would serve as our accommodation.

Cairnmuir Cottage is, quite simply, delightful! Positioned on a spur of land coming out of the hillside, there are amazing views on three sides. Looking east you can see the Kawhatau River Valley (one of the tributaries of the Rangitikei), with picturesque sheep-dotted hills in every other direction. The landscaping at the cottage featured plenty of flowers in full bloom. Sheep and cute little lambs grazed on the other side of the fences surrounding the house. The only noises we could hear were the gentle breeze rustling the lavender bushes, the sheep baa-ing, and the occasional barking of sheep-dogs in training.

Cairnmuir Cottage

Looking west from the cottage

Mmmm...too bad we didn't have a spit

We found the fridge fully stocked with meat and eggs for a proper Kiwi breakfast tomorrow, a bottle of wine on the table, a large wood stove with plenty of wood stacked nearby, a ping-pong table in the garage (which Ro loved), and Cerine's ideal library featuring the 2nd edition of LOTR from 1966, and plenty of Harry Potter. There was even a selection of toys in the corner of the living room which Ro wasted no time scattering about the place.

I want this room, daddy!

Gotta be careful playing cards with Ro...he's a sly one

Above the Kawhatau River Valley

As we were admiring the grounds, our hostess Wendy came up to the cottage to greet us and answer any questions we had. A restaurant recommendation was our first priority, and she guided us to Cafe Exchange back in Taihape. The cafe was not unlike most cafes in New Zealand, with a display case for pastries and pies prominently featured, with menus written in chalk on blackboards behind the counter. We pulled a couple of tables together as Ro checked out the basket of toys they keep there to busy the kids. The food was very good: Mark had the lamb rump, Carver the Vietnamese lamb, Norma the salmon fillet and prawns (she was shocked that it didn't come with any rice), Cerine a roasted veggie plate, Sherry a salad and a big bowl of pea, spinach, and apple soup, and Ro stuck with nuggets and chips. We also had a basket of wedges with sour cream to share. Ro was getting a little restless by the end, so we decided to defer coffee or dessert, with the exception of a cappuccino to go for Sherry. We walked around the corner to New World to pick up a couple of essentials (i.e. beer and ice cream) before heading back to the cottage.

Sunset over the hills at Cairnmuir Cottage

Once home, Mark started to lay a fire in the brazier on the chilly patio, but that idea was quickly amended by the ladies to the wood stove in the common room. Ro wanted to light the fire, but with only short matches to work with, we decided it was best if we restricted him to just throwing wood on it. Sherry cracked open the wine while Mark and Carver cracked open a few Beck's, and we all enjoyed some Hokey Pokey ice cream - the first time Cerine and N&C had ever tasted it.

Ro helping to lay a fire

Happiness = Mommy + Hokey Pokey Ice Cream

Ro had fun picking out his bedroom from the five available. His was nice and cozy, with a twin bed overlooking the hills. He was a little hesitant to go to sleep at first, as the wind brushed branches from a big bush against the window and the sheep could just barely be heard in the distance. After delighting in reading a corny knock-knock joke book from the cottage library, he finally passed out. We thought he was down for the count until about an hour later, when we accidentally set off the smoke alarm while stoking the fire. He had just learned about fire safety in school, so it was a little incongruous when Sherry tried to comfort him, "Don't worry, Honey! It's just the fire alarm, now go back to sleep."

We spent the rest of the evening sitting around the fire talking, venturing outside for a little while to look at the stars. They were as bright as a southwest desert sky, and we could easily see the Milky Way (or was it a cloud?). Carver wanted to see the Southern Cross, since this trip might very well be his only chance, so we all hunted for it. Problem is, there are several pseudo-constellations that sort of look like it, so we weren't quite certain, but Mark took a picture of our leading candidate to confirm later once he had internet access. We knew we had a long day tomorrow, so we all gradually headed for bed as Mark stoked the fire one last time, taking care not to set off the alarm again.