Raurimu to Turangi

After all that hiking at Tongariro National Park, we drove around before going back to the lodge.



Somewhere in the vicinity



Then went back for a well-deserved dinner.


The kiwi fruits in NZ are cheap, extremely flavourful and sweet, so unlike those we have here which are unripe and sourish. My SO was buying loads of the fruit and eating several and more everyday, which somehow, manage to convert one of our friends (both aren't into fruits) into a kiwi fruit fan.


Half tandoori grilled chicken


With stir-fried spinach & fresh button mushrooms (cheap) and canned sphaghetti. Their spinach comes in a huge bunch with very large leaves, and surprisingly, tasted sweet on its own without the siap siap taste of our local spinach. The fresh groceries were cheap as they were on special offer, which there often is, every couple of weeks.


Golden ginger wine from Sentry Hill

The next day (Day 9), we bid farewell to the very cozy Haven Lodge and move towards Lake Taupo, about 2 hours (?) away. Along the way, we went to Turangi for lunch.


There was some sort of fair going on in the town centre and a country song performance by the locals. Their standard of singing was very good!


My lunch of "the best vegetarian burger" - with grilled sweet onions, lettuce, tomatoes, mushrooms, cheese and kurama (sweet potatoes).


The SO's chicken and mushroom pasta with came in big kweh chap-like sheets of pasta. It was slightly creamy and very soft and nice.


The board display in the visitor information centre. Pressing the button will light up the board and start a commentary about the mountains and rivers in the region and how water and hydro-electricity are harnessed to provide power.