On our way to Tongariro

We headed to Tongariro National Park this morning. We caught a shuttle bus into the nearest town to catch our coach. The driver was an old Brit who was happy to tell us all about the history of the area and how the Queen had once stayed at the lodge where we had been! He also took the time to stop and show us some kiwi plants, as none of us had seen any yet. He was actually a bit random and slightly nutty!

After waiting in the cold for ages we found out that our us had broken down and we would have to wait for over an hour for a replacement bus. Nearly two hours later, the bus arrived and we were finally on our way.

We arrived at Tongariro around 5pm. We are feeling the difference in the temperatures as we travel south. We walked to a local bar to get some food just as the sun was setting over the mountains.