EC-Rider Travels

Not easy to believe that it is 1 December or that the sun is shining – hooray! Despite a slightly interrupted night with bit of a jolt due to an earthquake, Rachel and I got up early and went on the most stunning walk up to the top of the farm, past the mare and foal and sow and piglets (plus her adorable husband Steve); It was utterly beautiful and I felt so grateful to see it without the rain.

Following a yummy breakfast – Rachel makes the best granola – Mum and I headed north to the Waitomo Caves which Rachel recommended we should see. They were rather amazing, incredible underground chambers full of stalactites and stalagmites, where apparently they have concerts and opera which must be amazing and then, further through, there is an area with hundreds of thousands of special glowworms, found only in New Zealand, lighting up the ceiling. Sadly we were not allowed to take photographs, but it was pretty extraordinary.

We then headed south to Lake Taupo where we are staying with Peter and Nina in their Chalet Eiger. Set up on the top of a hill above the lake, it is extremely comfortable and they are charming with rather sweet dogs and cat who thinks he is a dog. Unbeknown to us, we had booked a lovely dinner cooked by Nina and with our fellow French guests, Pierre and Jannick, who were also very nice. We discovered the centre of the earthquake we had felt last night in Piopio, was in fact in Taupo and had measured 5.6 which is quite significant. Although nerves were a little frayed, everything was still standing and we felt several more tremors during the evening.