Hot pools

A perfect pair with our day in the snow was day two at the thermal baths. We all drove up to Taupo (a large lake that's actually a volcano) and went to the AC baths. They've been around since Bindi was a kid and did not fail to impress this next generation. I can't be in a pool for long without getting cold but pools heated by volcanoes I could stay in all day. Most hot springs are mellow affairs, meant for sitting quietly, but not these.

Bindi, Sisi, Wren and Summer



They had a Tarzan swing that the kids use to drop into the water. I wished they'd had that for adults!



The bach had a wide driveway where the girls could all ride together, back and forth. Wren borrowed Summer's bike which inspired us to realize Wren's current bike is woefully small.



Dinner with helmets on when dinner is just an interlude between biking time



Wren and Summer post-bath hairdo



At the Carrot Park, in the Carrot Car. For some reason, Ohakune is famous for root vegetables.



The last night the girl's dad Derek came back for the weekend



We rode bikes down to their favorite spot on the river and then did a hike our last morning at a tapu (sacred) lake, Rotokura. For the Maori the lake is healing waters so it's forbidden to eat or drink near it. Was a tall order for the girls to wait for food until we left the lake. I love that there are places here where tapu still rules the land. https://www.newzealand.com/in/article/lake-rotokura-experiences-on-a-sunny-sunday/

The gang after the hike