![Queen Victoria in Wellington](http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4062/4630487615_2305ec1bd9_m.jpg)
![on the way to Taupo](http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3372/4630493623_416ebb8fca_m.jpg)
![hills on the road to Taupo](http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4004/4630500611_0bb3996c96_m.jpg)
![Tongariro](http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3329/4631105584_e135ab26e4_m.jpg)
Eventually we made it to Tongariro National Park, home to three volcanoes, including, wait for it LOTR fans, Mt Doom.
![Mt Doom](http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4052/4631111340_d2ff64ca5e.jpg)
![Tongariro park volcanoes](http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4040/4631129962_8f147d7422.jpg)
![Tongariro park](http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4037/4630538409_65cc1f2c1d.jpg)
![Lake Taupo](http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4027/4631145604_a07820c3d5_m.jpg)
![parachuter](http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4009/4630551439_f72d432552_m.jpg)
![sunset at Wairakei](http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4054/4630557391_5cdee76d44_m.jpg)
The sunset from the institute in Wairakei.
![Huka Falls](http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3342/4631159738_cd50ce4baa.jpg)
They drove me by the Huka Falls, but the park was closed for the night, so I didn't get any closer. The guide books say they are the most spectacular in the country. (I don't know, maybe I've been to Niagara Falls, or even the very high cascading falls in Sooke too many times, but I was a touch underwhelmed).
We checked into the motel. Had dinner. It's a small town. In the morning we went for breakfast, and the man behind the counter knew how they liked their coffee, from their previous visits to Taupo. They all went to their meeting, and I wandered down to the Lake after getting a list of car rental places from the tourist bureau (i-Site).
![NZ 013](http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4054/4631175362_c0a12fd825.jpg)
See the volcanoes in the distance!
![NZ 017](http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4024/4630582987_214124722a_m.jpg)
![headless stickman in danger](http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4008/4630589359_aaafc6f7b0.jpg)
The Lake is dangerous to headless stickmen. Headless stickmen are always falling off cliffs because they can't see, lacking eyes, or think, lacking heads.
Then I walked up to the car rental places, only to discover that all the flights to Auckland had been cancelled that morning, so the cars were rented by desperate travellers. I managed to get a car at the third place I tried. The funny thing was when he got my license, he said, "Oh, this is strange, there's no Ontario." He explained that the company had recently added provinces to their listings for Canada. I told him Ontario was the largest and most populous province, larger than New Zealand. He asked what was the nearest province. I said, "Um, Québec?" and he said, "No, how about the Northwest Territories?" I told him he couldn't be further from my home, so I asked my options: NWT, Nunavut (seriously? how many tourists do they get from Nunavut?), BC, Alberta, NB, and NS. So, I chose BC, because I used to live there. My compatriots were very amused at dinner.
Though nervous driving on the left, I drove north to Wai-o-tapu to see the hydrothermal systems. Driving was okay, but I had to think carefully about turning. I kept thinking dogs in the passenger seat were driving other cars. The amazing things was the country side could be a hillier version of Southern Ontario: rolling hills, Victorian farm houses... and then the ground opens up and steam comes out. It's stunning.
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