New Zealand day 5

So I've skipped day 4 as it consisted of nursing a hangover, eating a burger and losing at a game of rummikub and that was about it, very relaxing though! 

Today we prepared for a long drive down to Taranaki (about 7 hours away from Auckland). It was nice to do a bit of sightseeing and really see the New Zealand landscape. We ventured along seaside roads, winding hills with very sharp bends and forests. 

The first point of interest was Lake Taupo which is the biggest lake in New Zealand. The waters looked stunning and small villages perched on the edge of the hills looking onto the lake below. 

Next we came into Rotarua which is known for its natural springs and unfortunately the bad smell that comes with it! It was very strange to see these little clouds of steam coming out of the ground. 

The final part of the journey consisted of taking highway 43 also known as the forgotten highway - well someone certainly forgot to Tarmac the roads as it was all stones and dust and we weren't in a 4x4! It was 4 hours of winding hilly roads through valleys and over green mountains. 

We even had a couple of obstacles on the way, mostly in the form of animals. I'm talking runaway alpacas, suicidal birds and even a herd of cows on the move! 

Finally after a very long journey we arrived at Luke's sisters. A cute little bungalow in the heart of a large farm which they run. We chatted to Jessica and the children for a couple of hours before heading to bed exhausted from the long journey.