My 2014 Adventure: Travels to Singapore, Australia & New Zealand: Taupo (Part II)

Our second day in Taupo was filled with outdoor activities!! This morning we rented bicycles from the hostel and rode around Lake Taupo. I'd estimate we covered as much as 10 miles because the path was very flat. It was a beautiful way to get some exercise and see the lake landscape. After lunch we walked down to the boat dock and climbed aboard a sail boat. We went out on Lake Taupo to see the Maori carved rock faces at Mine Bay. They were spectacular! In the 1970s a master carver named Matahi Whakataka-Brightwell came to Taupo because he had family ties to the area. Upon surveying the cliffs in Mine Bay he decided they would be an amazing canvas for his carving work. The large face is that of Ngatoroirangi, a Maori navigator who guided the Tuwharetoa and Te Arawa tribes to Taupo over a thousand years ago. The different sides of the face are carved to signify the maternal and paternal heritage of Ngatoroirangi. There are also various carvings of a lizard, the mermaid of Lake Taupo, and other Maori legends. We got the chance to swim out to the rock carvings to get a better look at them up close. The water was only about 18C (64F) so it was a quick swim. The skipper steered the boat and talked about the different areas of the bay while the crew came around and brought us wine. It was an immensely enjoyable afternoon on the calm water and sitting in the sunshine. Tomorrow Mariel and I have a half day left in Taupo and then we're off to Napier!