Taupo on the shores of the 25 mile by 40 mile lake is just
a hive of activity any time of the day. The streets are crowded with
natives and tourists and it has the best cafes and restaurants I've
seen so far. You can get something almost any time of the day, but
my interests lay in finding the harbour pier and taking a lazy cruise
out on the freshwater lake.Our skipper for the afternoon looked
like he could do the trip around the shore blindfolded. Try not to
mistake 'Kiwis' for 'Aussies' . Kiwi accents are a softer version
of the Australian accent and this skipper had a slow Kiwi droll
when he lectured on the sights we were to see.This type of
leisure cruise is great for families to relax and have others tend
to your needs.
As we weighed anchor and cast off to some whistle blowing, our
entourage sat back and took in the light lake breeze as we pulled
away from Taupo itself and headed out to Mine bay. Along the way
the skipper pointed out unusual volcanic formations to be seen
at the shore face ( see below)
We caught sight of a yacht ahead of us that the skipper told us was once
owned by the actor Errol Flynn and called ' The Barbary'. As we
maneuouvred our way into position the skipper again apologised
for the use of nautical terms but he did explain one term. He said,
"For those of you who are not familiar with nautical words, the stern
of the boat is that blunt end that keeps following us around". That
got a laugh as people positioned themselves for photos of some very
unusual rock carvings made by the local Maori artisans in 1958.
This is believed to be a Maori water God, maybe Te Papa Nu A Tia or
Taupo Nu A Tia guarding the water's edge from evil spirits.
Now you can see water creatures, crocodiles, seals, human figures carved
into the natural rock outcroppings. Human faces peek out of shadows.
See how crystal clear the waters are, no pollution here folks. We spent
a good few minutes clicking away and been served tea and coffee on
board, there was no rush.
© Paul Griffin, 2000
