We covered LOTS of territory on our drive back from Wellington to Auckland. Not all of New Zealand is the lush green tropical bush that we have become so familiar with.
We were on the road for about 11 hours. It was a LONG day. We did stop at one familiar place along the way to get out and stretch our legs - the Tongariro National Trout Center. We had been there last March when we went down to Tauranga with Sister Winters and her family that time Elder Winters had to go to Vanuatu at the last minute. Larry was driver for the group and got to take Gary's spot on the long planned fishing trip.
However, that time when we stopped at the trout center even though we very much enjoyed the walking trails (and found a couple geocache there), the museum and aquarium had been closed. This time everything was open for business so it was fun to walk around and see the displays.
Soon enough, however, it was time to get back on the road!
We caught glimpses of Lake Taupo through the windshield, but there was no more stopping for us. We were ready to get home.
There were LONG, LONG, LONG stretches between towns where we saw a lot of open country...mile after mile (or kilometers as they would say here) of windy road with pastures or bush on either side. I know I've mentioned this before, but there are a WHOLE lot of sheep in this country! (More sheep than people, they say.) New Zealand does not do rest stops so we have learned to carry plenty of water, fruit and crackers with us where ever we go, and fortunately were able to make it between pit stops for our other needs. (Whew!). We were road weary indeed by the time we reached our apartment in Takapuna. Still, we were glad we got a chance to see more of the country and gain an even better appreciation for this remarkable Land of the Great White Cloud.
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