We asked the fella if we could have a late check out this morning and he agrees so don’t get going until about 11.30. We are driving to Lake Taupo and I’m looking forward to getting there and admiring some of the scenery. If South Island is famous for the Southern Alps then the North Island is known for volcanoes, hot springs, mud pools and geysers.

We stop after about an hour and have some lunch in a caf� that�s attached to an indoor climbing centre. Maisie doesn’t want a go but Ali is straight up the wall. (I guess his fear of heights has now gone) It was really high and he had a good time trying the different walls although he said it was quite tiring.

We get to Lake Taupo and book into a motel with a lake view. Lake Taupo was the site of the world’s largest ever volcanic explosion and the lake fills the remaining crater. On the way we passed through Tongariro National Park and 3 volcanoes including Mt Ruapehu and Mt Ngauruhoe. Mt Ruapehu is the highest and most active of the regions volcanoes. In 1995 and 1996 Ruapehu erupted showering volcanic rock high into the air and emitting massive clouds of ash and steam. (Ruined the ski season) Mt Ngauruhoe is famous as the mountain used in Lord of the Rings as Mt Doom, as well as being smaller than the other volcanoes it is also younger and the slopes to its summit are still perfectly symmetrical.

I spent the evening reading my book- Wild Swans by Jung Chang. It’s an amazing story and makes me want to go back to China. I wish I had read it before we went there as much of the author’s life was spent in Chengdu (One of the places we visited). I think it is giving me a bit more understanding of the Chinese people and I think I am realising more the true extent of the hardships experienced by the Chinese during the Mao years. Difficult for me to comprehend really.