Wellington nu ne-a dezamagit dupa restul NZ. Oraselul asta, capitala, a devenit orasul nostru preferat. Cafea si mancare excelente, plimbari in parcuri si un muzeu extraordinar si gratis fac ca cele 2 zile de aici nu au fost de ajuns. A fost greu sa plecam, foarte greu.

Wellington keeps in line with the rest of our NZ experience and ups it up. The city is small but lively, surrounded by the sea and it is simply lovely. Great coffee and food, great walks and an astonishing free museum make it our favorite city in NZ this far. Top it up with great dining. It was hard leaving, very hard.

You approach what seems like a funnel and the road tells you, ONE LANE BRIDGE (we found a variation with ONE LOVE BRIDGE).

One lane bridges are a quintessential New Zealand experience. Here’s a fine example where everybody shares, cars and train. Blinking red lights had never been more important.

Dupa Rotorua si vulcanii sai (post in curs de scriere 😉 ne-am miscat spre Tangariro National Park si trecerea lui alpina cu o mica oprire la cascadele Huka.

After Rotorua and its volcanos, we drove towards Tangariro National park and its crossing with a short stop at the impressive Huka Falls.

Ziua urmatoare, dupa o trezire nu chiar matinala am pornit spre Mordor si inrinderile lui arse. Inca dinainte de a incepe sa urcam, de departe ne astepta Mount Doom, vulcanul Ngauruhoe, si craterul lui. Impunator. Regretam ca nu l-am urcat dar ne-am promis ca la urmatoarea vizita.

The next day, after a not so early breakfast we made our way to Mordor, the real Mordor. Even before the start of our trek we saw Mount Doom greeting us from afar. The Ngauruhoe volcano and its crater. Hard not to stand in awe before it. We regret not hiking it, it will have to be for our next visit.

Am ajuns si ne-am pus pe mers. In jur un peisaj vulcanic, in spate campii, in dreapta Ngauruhoe. Liniste cat sa te pierzi in imagini si chiar sa iti arunci ochii dupa vreun hobbit urcand. Am urcat pana la baza vulcanului si ne-am oprit sa admiram.

We got there and started walking. All around weird volcanic landscapes, behind us unbroken plains, to the right the imposing Ngauruhoe. Silence and you could get lost in the sights and look around for hobbits on quests. We hiked to the base of the volcano and we stopped to admire.

Am traversat platoul spre trecerea alpina. Vulcan in spate, vulcan in fata si sentimentul ca defapt ne aflam in mijlocul unui crater. Pamant si roca neagra si arsa in jur, ramasite ale eruptiilor si laharuluu. Daca pana acum fusesem norocosi cu soarele, in fata ne asteptau nori si ceata ce ne-au inghitit cu munte cu tot. S-au mai raspandit cat sa vedem lacurile.

We then started crossing the large plateau before the upward slopes to the alpine crossing. A volcano behind us, another in front of us and and the unshakable feeling we’re walking inside a crater. We were lucky until now but in front of us clouds and mist waited and swallowed us and the mountain. They broke off just enough to see the lakes.

Am regasit perspectiva si peisajele de-abia dupa inca vreo 3 ore mers, pe partea cealalata unde lacul Taupo se intindea albastrul umpland un imens crater de dimensiunea Singapore. In total 7 ore.

We found light and sight after 3 hours, on the other side where lake Taupo, an actual flooded volcano crater the size of Singapore, stretched its blue waters. 7 hours of breathtaking sights.

A doua zi ne-am oprit la al doilea Mount Doom, Ruapehu si apoi ne-am mai oprit o data pentru a-l admira de departe. Peisajele sunt extraordinare, aproape am auzit orcii calarindu-si lupii.

The next day we made a stop at the second Mount Doom, Ruapehu and stoped again to admire it from afar. The landscape is terrific, We could almost hear the orcs riding their wolfes here.

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