Several times throughout the night I would wake up to the sound of heavy rain on my tent. When I decided to get up for good it wasn't raining. I'd been expecting an email that I needed to take care of so I lingered in my tent taking care of that. Ten minutes later it started to pour again. After about 20 minutes it stopped again. Grateful that it did stop and that I wouldn't have to take down my stuff in the rain, I finished up what I was doing and got ready to leave the tent. It started to pour again. I decided to be ready for it next time, so I did everything I needed to do to leave the tent and waited. After about 20 minutes it stopped again. I rushed around collapsing the tent and getting everything situated in the car. It stayed dry for the next hour.
I'd set up my tent in the dark and while I managed to find a pretty flat place it turns I'd inadvertently set up my tent over a very slight trench. So water was running under my tent parallel to it. Needless to say some of my stuff was a little wet. When I arrived in Taupo it wasn't raining so I opted for a tent site, but as I walked to my car it started again. Perfect timing I guess. So I walked back in and said, "The rain gods are in your favor" and got a cabin for the night. This gave me a place to dry my stuff and meant I didn't have to set up in the rain.
In the morning I slipped on my pants and continued to get ready. I felt something in my pant leg. I rubbed it a bit thinking it was a hair being pulled or something. I continued getting ready, but then thought I felt something move. I pulled down my pants a little trying to see if I could see what was causing that sensation. Nothing. But I then was certain I felt something move down my leg. I took off my pants and found a quarter-sized spider in them! I shook it off onto the bed and took a pic of it. Whoa. I'm not terribly afraid of spiders so it was comical to me, but I didn't want to get a poisonous bite either. Turns out it didn't bite me and wasn't poisonous anyway.
I then went on a hike to Huka Falls - lots of water traveling through a large slot or channel. I came back to my campground, changed into a bathing suit and went to a natural hot spring about five minutes from my campground. This was one of my favorite moments on the trip. Seeing a spring was nothing amazing, but for it to be hot was spectacular. It was about the temp of a hot tub. I'd go in for 15 minutes, come out for about 5 in the fall-like temps, then get back in. I did this about 3 times. There were others around hanging out with friends and family while warming up in various locations in the spring.
Warmth was good. After grabbing a bite to eat in town and walking around I pulled into my campground with the thermometer reading 3 C (37 F). The fridge in the kitchen read 4 C. The fridge was warmer than my tent. This would my my coldest night on the trip. Someone just posted pics of light snow in Ohakune. I just got out of there in time I guess.
I'd set up my tent in the dark and while I managed to find a pretty flat place it turns I'd inadvertently set up my tent over a very slight trench. So water was running under my tent parallel to it. Needless to say some of my stuff was a little wet. When I arrived in Taupo it wasn't raining so I opted for a tent site, but as I walked to my car it started again. Perfect timing I guess. So I walked back in and said, "The rain gods are in your favor" and got a cabin for the night. This gave me a place to dry my stuff and meant I didn't have to set up in the rain.
In the morning I slipped on my pants and continued to get ready. I felt something in my pant leg. I rubbed it a bit thinking it was a hair being pulled or something. I continued getting ready, but then thought I felt something move. I pulled down my pants a little trying to see if I could see what was causing that sensation. Nothing. But I then was certain I felt something move down my leg. I took off my pants and found a quarter-sized spider in them! I shook it off onto the bed and took a pic of it. Whoa. I'm not terribly afraid of spiders so it was comical to me, but I didn't want to get a poisonous bite either. Turns out it didn't bite me and wasn't poisonous anyway.
I then went on a hike to Huka Falls - lots of water traveling through a large slot or channel. I came back to my campground, changed into a bathing suit and went to a natural hot spring about five minutes from my campground. This was one of my favorite moments on the trip. Seeing a spring was nothing amazing, but for it to be hot was spectacular. It was about the temp of a hot tub. I'd go in for 15 minutes, come out for about 5 in the fall-like temps, then get back in. I did this about 3 times. There were others around hanging out with friends and family while warming up in various locations in the spring.
Warmth was good. After grabbing a bite to eat in town and walking around I pulled into my campground with the thermometer reading 3 C (37 F). The fridge in the kitchen read 4 C. The fridge was warmer than my tent. This would my my coldest night on the trip. Someone just posted pics of light snow in Ohakune. I just got out of there in time I guess.
Waking up to rain in Ohakune, NZ my last morning there You'll have to ignore that fact that it's upside down. It wasn't in real life.