Saturday, 14 March 2015
Whakapapa Village, Tongariro National Park — North Island, New Zealand
After dallying at the River Trader’s Market in Wanganui, we set off for Tongariro National Park by way of the Whanganui River Road. The distance wasn’t great, but there were so many interesting places along the way that it pretty much took us all day to get to our hotel at the national park.
The fissure in this giant orb on the Wanganui Riverside depicts the route of the
Whanganui River, which we follow on our way to our next destination.
Can you see us reflected on the surface of the sphere? NO? …
… well, here’s a closer look.
Whanganui River near the Aramoana Summit.
Lilies near Te Rangihekeiho Meeting House.
“House of Prayer” at Koriniti Marae.
Koriniti Marae
church of Hiruharama (Jerusalem)
We had a lovely day for a lovely drive. Once we were off the River Road, however, the weather changed, and we were greeted with rain when we arrived at Chateau Tongariro, our accommodations at the National Park. No worries, by the time we were settled in our room, the sun was out again.
Chateau Tongariro looks great in the sun …
… as does Mount Ngauruhoe, one of the three active volcanos within the national park.
