Taupo Airport

We are currently staying at the NZMCA park at Taupo Airport and the area has been full with caravans, buses and motor-homes over the last few days.  Most of them have departed and after having neighbours on both sides and across the internal road, there are very few scattered about the grounds today.  That could well change as a lot of campers arrive in the late afternoon, looking for a spot to stay for a night or two.

All on our lonesome

The surrounding area is always busy too.  Behind the camp are two sky-diving businesses and they have planes up in the air most days.  As Robin often says, “why anyone would want to jump out of a perfectly safe plane, is beyond me”.  He’s so right, I wouldn’t do it either.  We watch them hurtling towards earth, looping the loop as they go – the foolhardy young things.

Tandem parachutists

We have good views of the commercial helicopters taking off and landing, and also the rescue helicopter has had a few trips while we have been here.  Air New Zealand planes take off and land at the adjacent airport, so it can get rather noisy at times, but there is always something to watch. 

Coming in to land

A few chores needed doing today and as we drove downtown we could see the steam rising in the air from nearby Wairakei Geothermal Power Station.  The Wairakei Power Station is owned and operated by Contact Energy Limited, and produces 25% of NZ's electricity

Steam rising from Wairakei

The sky is a bit hazy today, but we had a good view of Mt Ruapehu away in the distance across Lake Taupo.   There is something awe inspiring about the mountains, we feel.

Looking across Lake Taupo to Mt Ruapehu

Later in the afternoon we were joined by friends Geoff and Eileen who had been in Auckland visiting family over the last few days.  When they were set up it was time to sit outside in the shade for 4zees and catch up with our respective news.

Geoff, Robin, Jenny and Eileen

Then came the big question.  When shall we move on, and where shall we go?  We’ve almost come to a decision, we’ll think again about it tomorrow.