Helicopter Tour
This morning, we had the good fortune to see this beautiful area via helicopter. Our pilot, Brian De Paw, from Volcanic Air met us at a nearby helipad to start our adventure. From the air, you can really understand just how much geothermal activity there is in the area. White clouds of steam dotted the landscape along with pipelines carrying the steam to power plants.
Our first stop was at the geothermal fields at Orakei Korako. We took a boat across the water to start our visit to the site. A clear path leads you around the various pools available for viewing. The water colors and sediment were very vibrant (and warm). The path also takes you past a gurgling mud pond.
Our next visit was the top of Mt. Tarawera. We had an incredible view of our surroundings including White Island which erupted in December. You might remember that several people from a cruise ship were on an excursion to the volcano when it erupted and they died. It turned out that our helicopter pilot was also on the island at the time with 4 German tourists. He yelled for them to jump into the water, which two of them did, while the ash cloud went over. The two that didn't make it to the water are still in the hospital recovering from burns over 40% of their bodies. He said he would never go there again. This is a picture of his helicopter that remains on the island.
After we looked around, we took off for our lunch spot literally on the side of the mountain. It took some skill to land on such a small spot, but Brian seemed to know what he was doing. He had quite a spread of food for us which we enjoyed while taking in the landscape.
After the flight we returned to the lodge to relax a little. However, the Huka Falls were just a short walk and I hadn't reached my step goal, so we took off for one final excursion of the day. While I've seen much taller falls, the most impressive part of Hula Falls is the volume of water passing through. Miles of hiking trails connect several recreation areas along the river.
On the way back we explored a little of the lodge property. They have done an amazing job making it inviting and peaceful.
Tonight, we had another incredible meal, this time in the trophy room, so named for all the hunting trophies hanging on the walls. The chef paid us a visit since we asked him to sign our menus for the evening. As with the other restaurant staff, he came from outside of New Zealand. Born in England, he now calls NZ home via a stop in Singapore where he met his wife.
Tomorrow: A fishing adventure
Our first stop was at the geothermal fields at Orakei Korako. We took a boat across the water to start our visit to the site. A clear path leads you around the various pools available for viewing. The water colors and sediment were very vibrant (and warm). The path also takes you past a gurgling mud pond.
Our next visit was the top of Mt. Tarawera. We had an incredible view of our surroundings including White Island which erupted in December. You might remember that several people from a cruise ship were on an excursion to the volcano when it erupted and they died. It turned out that our helicopter pilot was also on the island at the time with 4 German tourists. He yelled for them to jump into the water, which two of them did, while the ash cloud went over. The two that didn't make it to the water are still in the hospital recovering from burns over 40% of their bodies. He said he would never go there again. This is a picture of his helicopter that remains on the island.
After the flight we returned to the lodge to relax a little. However, the Huka Falls were just a short walk and I hadn't reached my step goal, so we took off for one final excursion of the day. While I've seen much taller falls, the most impressive part of Hula Falls is the volume of water passing through. Miles of hiking trails connect several recreation areas along the river.
On the way back we explored a little of the lodge property. They have done an amazing job making it inviting and peaceful.
Tonight, we had another incredible meal, this time in the trophy room, so named for all the hunting trophies hanging on the walls. The chef paid us a visit since we asked him to sign our menus for the evening. As with the other restaurant staff, he came from outside of New Zealand. Born in England, he now calls NZ home via a stop in Singapore where he met his wife.
Tomorrow: A fishing adventure
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