Taupo - December 1 & 2

 December 1 - Sailing on Lake Taupo

The Barbary II

To the Maori this was a pregnant woman; her head is on the left

    First, it is hard to believe that it is December. Here, the days are getting longer and warmer. December!

    We had a wonderful two-and-a-half hour sail on Lake Taupo this morning on an eco-sailboat. We were partly under sail, but assisted by electric engine on The Barbary II.

We were glad that we went today as there was a good breeze and we really felt like we were sailing.

 

 Our destination was to view stone carvings on a cliff face made by a master Maori carver. He had promised his mother a tribute to their ancestors and looked for a giant tree to carve. But, one day, out on the lake, he saw the cliff face. But. There was a problem as the Maori don't carve on stone. They carve wood, bone, ivory and jade. So, he had to get permission to do these.

   

The carving:look closely

 Our ride out was a bit bumpy and several passengers got quite ill. Luckily, no one threw up near us, but the captain was not happy as one of them threw up at his feet. He had told her to throw up over the side, but..... Oh dear.  

      We learned that Lake Maori was in trouble from pollution several decades ago. In 2006, the government instituted reforms. First, they bought out some of the farms nearby as fertilizer was adding too much nitrogen into the lake. Secondly, the farmers started using far less fertilizer. The argument was that so much was going into the lake that it was not economically efficient. That worked. And, the farmers saved money. Thirdly, they limited fishing for the two types of trout that live in the lake. And, they stopped blackmarket selling of the trout because all the restaurants took trout off their menus. So, the only way to eat trout from the lake is to catch it - or be friends with someone who fishes.

     Their efforts worked. The lake now is clean for swimming AND for drinking. You can actually see it because the lake is so clear. The visibility of the lake used to be about 3 meters and it is now easily 10 meters.  And, the trout have doubled in quantity and they have increased the number that can be caught.

    It is a good example of what can happen when communities work together. Once the farmers were on board and saw it was to their advantage, it became easier.

It's a McDonald's!

One of many examples of street 'graffiti'

    Afterwards, we had sushi for lunch.  Taupo is known for its graffiti drawings which we've enjoyed looking at.

December 2

 We had a rather quiet day today. We went to town and did a bit of window shopping and wandering. Mark bought a short-sleeved shirt. We went to Woolworth's and got some groceries and went 'home' and made egg salad sandwiches and took them to the nearby beach.

Barbara has been wanting to go into Lake Taupo since we've been here, but the weather has not fully cooperated, but today, she did brave the chill and went in. 

Black Swan, red/orange bill

In late afternoon, we went to the hot pools in our hotel.