Day 88 Taupo to Auckland

We started the day with a cruise on Lake Taupo, which is slightly larger than Flathead Lake. It was a lovely morning and we saw some Mauri carvings on the rocks around the lake. The captain also talked about the volcano that sits just off the lake which erupted about a decade ago. We were thinking of the Icelandic volcano that continues to spew ash over large parts of Europe.
We hopped back into the van and drove to Auckland. Along the way we stopped to see a waterfall. We hoped to get to Auckland in time to do some shopping.
It was another great day for family togetherness. We ate at a very nice waterfront restaurant and the back to the hotel to play some cards.
Tomorrow Russell, Bay of Islands.

Chris- Lake Taupo is a huge lake at 40 kilometers long and 30 kilometers wide and 186 metres at it's deepest point. There are many hot water areas that can be seen both at the southern and northern ends of the lake. A natural hot water beach runs along side the lakefront of the town of Taupo. These springs occur naturally as a result of the volcanic fault line, which forms part of the Pacific volcanic fault. The lake was formed by a volcanic eruption that occurred 1800 years ago. It was the largest volcanic eruption recorded by man. Both the Chinese and the Romans recorded the eruption as the "days of nights" when 1200 cubic kilometres of matter was sent 55 kilometers into the air causing global darkness for 3 days. Today the lake is a beautiful, crystal clear lake that is rimmed by mountains. It was a gorgeous, warm day to be cruising the lake. We're now in Auckland and at the Langford Hotel after some shopping and a lovely waterside dinner. The hotel is terrific with all the amenities you'd expect with the best boutique hotel in New Zealand. We had a terrific time tonight with all enjoying an exciting game of hearts.