Then there was the earthquake that rumbled through Picton late one night as we lay sleeping in our bed there. It didn’t do any damage but was a reminder of just how unstable the islands of New Zealand are. Since the drive to Wellington where we catch the ferry to the South Island takes a few days, we took our time and toured some of the central North Island on our way. Auckland to Turangi February 26 After stopping in Auckland to drop off our liferaft for recertification, we met up with John Cooper who has been very helpful in supplying us with maps and tips on where to travel in the South Island. We had a great visit over coffee and cake at his apartment overlooking downtown Auckland. We drove towards Taupo and spent our first night in Turangi, at the south end of Lake Taupo. We stayed at a backpackers that was seriously into climbing and had a huge complex of climbing walls.
 Volcanic Loop
The Volcanic Plateau - Tongariro
February 27 Because there was such a heavy cloud cover the following morning, we were advised to take the eastern route around Tongariro Mountains and through Tongariro National Park, dominated by three active volcanoes, the major one being Mount Ruapehu . The landscape was stark and harsh, used as a military training ground. The area reminded us of Nevada. The mountain road revealed glimpses of the snow covered volcanic peaks shrouded in the clouds.
River RoadWhanganui National Park   There are many rivers in the region, the best known being the Whanganui River which is the longest navigable river in New Zealand. For a change of scenery we took the remote Whanganui River Road, an area seeping in Maori tradition with ruminants of the tiny mission villages dotting the narrow, sometimes gravel road. Later at the Te Papa Museum in Wellington, we watched a documentary that taught us more about the culture and history of the Whanganui River area.
The upper river is dense rainforest which leads through deeply incised gorges where ferns and native plants cling to steep riverbanks. This dramatic landscape opens up into rolling farmland. We spent the night in Wanganui, which was a charming historic little town at the mouth of the river.
WellingtonFebruary 28 Our drive to Wellington was along the west coast, a stretch of road that encompassed more museums than one can imagine….trains, planes, trams, vintage cars, etc.  Wellington, the country's capital, is a sophisticated, compact city, sandwiched between a magnificent harbor and towering green hills.
 We checked into our hotel which was a crazy Backpacker building painted like a zebra and called Wildlife House Backpacker, right in the heart of downtown Wellington. Wellington is a compact city, making it possible to walk almost anywhere. We spent the evening walking around Courtney Place, where there are dozens of restaurants and cafes.
That evening we enjoyed a private hot tub at the Wildlife House and retired early to our sparse room. Since we arrived a day ahead of schedule, we had the whole next day to exp lore Wellington. We started the day by walking to Oriental Bay looking for a restaurant to have breakfast. There was some great views of the harbour and surrounding city with the fountain in the middle of the bay.
 Later, we walked the entire downtown area, looking through shops (everything was very expensive) and enjoying the sights and the eccentric style of the architecture.
The city beautifully combines modern high-rise developments along its reclaimed foreshores with gracious old homes that cling to the hillsides above the city. We poked around the Art Museum and even ran into Dejara (Victoria is working in Wellington). It’s amazing that we can consistently run into people we know wherever we go! | 
