This is summer?

We moved swiftly back fro the Northland and spent 3 relaxing days in Tauranga, known by some as ' the closest place to heaven,' not because it is stunningly beautiful, although it is very pleasant, but because of the high number of retired persons living there! We played some golf did some walking around the bay and caught up on some reading before heading south.
The area around Rotorua and Lake Taupo is very active as seen in this photo of the Craters of the Moon. Lots of steam and bubbling sounds reminds one that there's a lot going on 'down there'.

There is a narrow gorge on the river from the lake which creates a tremendous flow of water through Huka Falls. Difficult to capture but it is impressive.

Final destination for the day was Napier, the center of the wine region of Hawkes Bay, and also the fruit basket of New Zealand. This may be the most unique city in the country, having been decimated by an earthquake in 1931 it was rebuilt in the popular style of the time and retains a unique concentration of art-deco buildings, quite different to anything we have seen.

The area between Napier and Wellington is rather bland and the much hyped wine center of Martinborough was a disappointment so we carried on to Wellington and thus the title of this post. It is wet, cold and windy here and we were lucky to get a room for tonight despite everyone telling us how accommodation in NZ is always available, tomorrow is sold out so we will get on the ferry to Picton (South Island) and hope for some brighter weather, and stay here a little longer on the return.