The weather still wasn't great, but good enough to be excited about some "thermal wonder" discoveries! We stopped off in Rotorua and went to the Kuirau Park in the city center. There's a cool big steaming lake there and some fun mud pools.

After a final shop for souvenirs we drove south to Orakei Korako, or the "Hidden Valley". We spent a good, but wet, couple of hours at the thermal park. The terraces were impressive and the cave is one of the most impressive sights I've seen in New Zealand (yet!) Its setting was amazing and the colours were very blue and green. We cleaned our wedding rings in the warm, slightly acidic water.

Next stop were the Huka Falls which were in full flight and very, very impressive. The raw power is unbelievable. It's no wonder that the rivers here are used for so much electricity generation.

We had a quiet evening in Taupo and Mum taught us a little bridge. The box of wine proved not to mean we drank less, but quite a bit more! Oops, but fun!