Blackcurrant Backpacker
Wairakei Natural Thermal Valley
Alpaca - weird long fur Llama alike animal. They are very cute and curious.
An alpaca (Vicugna pacos) is a domesticated species of South American camelid. It resembles a small llama in appearance.
There are two breeds of alpaca; the Suri alpaca and the Huacaya alpaca.
Alpacas are kept in herds that graze on the level heights of the Andes of southern Peru, northern Bolivia, Ecuador, and northern Chile at an altitude of 3,500 m (11,500 ft) to 5,000 m (16,000 ft) above sea level, throughout the year.[1] Alpacas are considerably smaller than llamas, and unlike llamas, they were not bred to bebeasts of burden, but were bred specifically for their fiber. Alpaca fiber is used for making knitted and woven items, similar to wool. These items include blankets, sweaters, hats, gloves, scarves, a wide variety of textiles and ponchos in South America, and sweaters, socks, coats and bedding in other parts of the world. The fiber comes in more than 52 natural colors as classified in Peru, 12 as classified in Australia and 16 as classified in the United States.
In the textile industry, "alpaca" primarily refers to the hair of Peruvian alpacas, but more broadly it refers to a style of fabric originally made from alpaca hair, but now often made from similar fibers, such as mohair, Icelandic sheep wool, or even high-quality English wool.[citation needed] In trade, distinctions are made between alpacas and the several styles of mohair and luster.
An adult alpaca generally is between 81 and 99 cm in height at the withers. They usually weigh between 48 and 84 kg (106 and 185 lbs). http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alpaca
The Thermal Valley
The Thermal Valley Cafe
Huka Falls
The Huka Falls are a set of waterfalls on the Waikato River that drains Lake Taupo in New Zealand.
A few hundred metres upstream from the Huka Falls, the Waikato River narrows from approximately 100 metres across into a narrow canyon only 15 metres across. The canyon is carved into lake floor sediments laid down before Taupo's Oruanui eruption 26,500 years ago.[1]The volume of water flowing through often approaches 220,000 litres per second. The flow rate is regulated by Mighty River Power through the Taupo Control Gates as part of their hydro system planning, with Waikato Regional Council dictating flows during periods of downstream flooding in the Waikato River catchment.
At the top of the falls is a set of small waterfalls dropping over about 8 metres. The final stage of the falls is over a 6 metre drop, raised to an effective 11m fall by the depth of the water. The falls are a popular tourist attraction, being close to Taupo and readily accessible from State Highway One.
The falls featured in a national scandal in February 1989 when the body of cricket umpire Peter Plumley-Walker was found downstream, with wrists and ankles bound. The resulting investigation exposed the Auckland bondage scene. Dominatrix Renee Chignall was acquitted of his murder after three trials.[2]
Huka Falls Video 1
Huka Falls Video 2
Huka Falls Video 3
Huka Falls Video 4
Duckling at carpark
After Huka Falls, we go to Rapids Jet.
Rapids Jet
No picture taken as no way can have camera on boat.
After Rapids Jet, we start journey to National Park Village.
We just after sunset. We stay at Plateau Lodge.
Plateau Lodge
Very new and great place. Got free hot tub.
We cook our dinner and have a great night sleep. Ready for Tongariro Crossing early morning tomorrow.
End of Day 19
