title A Road-trip Through Rotorua to Palmerston, North Island, New Zealand - 27th November 1992 intro After a few days hanging out at Clive's motel in Ferry Landing, Nosher and the Old Chap set off on a drive along the spine of New Zealand's North Island through the volcanic centre of Rotorua, Lake Taupo and the central desert and on to Palmerston North and a meeting with some cousins. Rotorua was a bit of a washout: sleeping with the constant smell of sulphur in the air meant feeling very sick by the next morning, so the drive down towards Palmerston was not as much fun as it should have been. It ended up being equally broken up by stops for fresh air thanks to the pervading smell of leather and age from the huge tank of a Ford Falcon that we'd borrowed from Steve, and the stops to fill the thing up with petrol every few miles. scan-130114-0012 On the road in New Zealand scan-130114-0025 Hobson's Beach in Waitangi scan-130114-0027 The Old Chap outside a Māori building scan-130114-0026 A lake in Waitangi scan-130117-0007_01 A Maori building on stilts hw08 A carved Maori warrior protects a wharenui hw09 A wharenui - the big house scan-130117-0008_01 Another Maori building with Pouwhenua scan-130117-0016_01 A stripey path scan-130114-0021 A Māori Waka Taua scan-130114-0006 A Maori cemetery scan-130114-0010 The pool of our B&B motel in Rotorua scan-130114-0005 A cobalt-blue lake and some steam scan-130117-0011_01 A strange milky pond scan-130117-0008 A bubbling steamy lake scan-130117-0010_01 Bubbling mud pools scan-130117-0007 Tourists inspect a bubbling green pool scan-130117-0011 Lush greenery, and more steam scan-130117-0006_01 A geyser blows off scan-130128-0002 Another view of the geyser at Rotorua scan-130128-0003 Nosher and hat in front of a geyser hw07 The Old Chap stands in front of the geyser at Rotorua scan-130114-0008 The Bath House at Rotorua scan-130117-0010 The Aeroplane Car Company, with a DC-3 scan-130117-0014 Dancing fountains scan-130117-0016 Inside a botanical garden scan-130128-0023 Mountains and New Zealand foliage scan-130117-0013_01 A Maori gate on the shores of Lake Taupo scan-130117-0020 A Parascender on Lake Taupo scan-130117-0022 Lake Taupo bowling action scan-130117-0021 A mass bowling event scan-130117-0023 Lake Taupo scan-130117-0027 The 3.7 litre Ford Falcon by the lake scan-130117-0025 On the shores of Lake Taupo scan-130117-0019 On the lake shore scan-130117-0009_01 Raging rapids scan-130128-0022 The road continues scan-130117-0033 The Ford Falcon up in the desert scan-130117-0015_01 A Geothermal energy plant hw17 Geothermal pipes hw22 Geothermal pipe work scan-130117-0004 Napier High Street scan-130117-0002 A brass band plays Christmas tunes scan-130117-0005 A pedestrian zone in Napier scan-130117-0001 A lone bike in Napier scan-130117-0003 A park in Napier scan-130117-0006 It's time for roast dinner at Christine's scan-130117-0001_01 Cousin Christine scan-130117-0032 Christine and her geezer scan-130117-0002_01 Christine, her husband, The Old Chap and Zack the cat