Snow!

bed count: 49

Now in Taupo for a few days having headed up from Wanganui via Mount Ruapehu. Just a little mountain you understand. Only 9,175 feet high.

It's pretty impressive, especially with the top still covered in snow whilst we're basking in sunny, flower-filled meadows at sea level. I keep thinking I'm in Switzerland.

We got lucky as the chair lifts were open for the first day of the summer season yesterday so, after we drove up through increasingly moon-like landscape, we took two chairlifts up into the snow. Now - that's more like it, snow in December. I feel a little more festive now.

Went out on the lake on a yatch which was once owned by Errol Flynn this afternoon. (Well you have to have some unique selling point I guess!). There was plenty of breeze, though the sun was a little reluctant to show it's face.

There were only 5 of us in board and we headed out to the Maori rock carvings and had a nice relaxing couple of hours sailing (once I had tuned out the loud-mouth Brit - there's always one).

Here for a few more days and hoping to get some more pics up in that time. Watch this space.