Saturday 20th
Taupo – Paraparaumu

Set off reasonably early from Taupo, heading south beside the lake. The weather started off promising good things, but, as the day progressed the wind picked up from the south and by the time we stopped half way along the Desert Rd there was a brisk and keen wind blowing grey ragged clouds off Mt Ruapehu.

The Desert Rd descends to the Waiouru Plateau

I have never thought of Waiouru as being anything but a place at the end of the Desert Rd where the army lives and travelors can get their first petrol for a hundred Km. But there it was. A brand new Subway, right there beside the other quick food places. So we said "Lets buy lunch here and eat it further down the line". It had only been open a week and we almost had to tell the girl how to make it. So with our lunch bag full of bread roll, salad and shrimp we carried on for another 100 Kms Bulls where we said "This is a nice place lets have our lunch here". So turning the corner to park what did we see? A new Subway. So we ate our Waiouru Subway roll in the car about 100 metres away from Bull’s Subway and then went into McDonalds for our senior citizens free cup of tea.

The weather really packed up after leaving Bulls and it rained all the way to Paraparaumu. A chilly north westerly wind blowing in from Kapiti Island. The motel was quite close to the beach so I went walking along the beach for a couple of Km and afterwards we both browsed one of the secondhand book shops, but couldn't find any treasures.

Paraparaumu Beach under a very dreary sky

Kapiti Island

DriftWood above the high tide mark

Stayed at the Kapiti Court Motel $75, rating: 7/10.