Date: Fri- Sun 30 May-1 June 2014
Location: Rotorua district, Bay of Plenty
Trip leader: Anna Bergin
What makes this place New Zealand? Sheep and forests! A tramp the starts off with a farm stay at the Bergin’s is the way to go. Say hi to the two pet lambs that are constantly demanding more milk. Bella the dog goes mental at the sight of AUTC trampers stopping by for the night. Spaghetti Bolognese and drinks around the bonfire and a walk in the dark to see the glowworms are what sets the scene for the best tramp ever. And we haven’t even munched our way through all the marshmallows yet. And no exchange student should head home without a pleasant sniff of Rotorua.
The Rotorua Lakes are a pretty special place in the North Island. Surrounding them are some beautiful native forests and what better excuse to go for a tramp than that. After our luxurious stay at 5 star accommodation on the outskirts of Rotorua we drove to Lake Okataina. Here is a picture perfect lake with clear water just inviting you for a swim – way too cold! We tramped our way around the Eastern Okataina Walkway and crossed the saddle to Humphrey’s Bay on Lake Tarawera. What a view. New Zealand’s iconic Mount Tarawera spans the width of the lake and shows no mercy for those lost in its eruption in 1886. Continuing our way around the Northern Tarawera Track allowed us magnificent views across the lake to the mountain and ended at the Lake Tarawera Outlet Campsite at the foot of the mountain. While some continued up a side track to visit the 65m tall Tarawera falls, others set up camp and started on the dinner. As the German Fire God had joined us for the weekend we had a campfire to rival the Tarawera explosion and together we spun some yarns and laughed late into the night. Did you just hear a rumble… was that the mountain waking up…?
On our way out we were joined by Anna’s Dad who enlightened us with many of the names of trees and plants and how to identify them. Northern Rata, Tawa, and Pohutukawa. Our favorite was the Coca-Cola plant. We all nibbled on a leaf and it tastes just like Coca-Cola doesn’t it. No trip is complete without a steaming bowl of vegetable soup made by Anna’s Mum back in the farm kitchen. Sitting around the lounge fire together sipping our delicious soup we reminisced on the weekend’s adventures and were thankful the mountain didn’t explode on us.
Author: Anna Bergin
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