The National Aquarium of NZ is in Napier -part of the reason for our visit here as there is a "Kiwi House". The girls are desperate to see kiwi - the national emblem of NZ - but as they are nocturnal and very hard to find in the wild, the only chance we have is to see them in captivity. The aquarium is right on the beachfront and seawater is pumped directly to it's tanks. The oceanarium is viewed from an underwater tunnel and is home to sharks, lobster, seahorses and other native NZ fish. We arrive in time for the "fish feeding" and are treated to a real comedy show by the diver in the tank. He interacts with the audience, cuddling a lobster and playing golf with a rusty anchor.
The girls finally get to see the native kiwis - but sadly no pictures. Being nocturnal they are very susceptible to light and we are not allowed to take photos. The enclosure is strictly controlled, behind a glass screen and we have to remain still and quiet so as to catch a glimpse of these funny little flightless creatures - with their round body , coarse feathers, strong legs and a long distinctive bill. They are lovely to watch, really comical.
We head towards Lake Taupo, the largest lake in NZ and Blackcurrant Backpackers - stopping for lunch at the "Craters of the Moon" geo thermal area. It is raining again and as we eat we have several rounds of "shall we? shan't we?" do the 45 minute loop walk around the guided track. The rain stops and we head off. Unfortunately, within 5 minutes of the entrance gate, the heavens open and a family of 4 drowned rats continue their walking tour - distinctly unamused but reminding themselves that we have to make the best of the opportunities we have while we are here - despite the weather!
We follow the path which, as always we are discovering in NZ, is well maintained and well stocked with information boards along the way. Due to the excessive amount of rain the already steaming landscape is exceptionally steamy and at times we are caught in a very dramatic "fog" unable to see each other on the path. There is a bit of an eggy whiff, but not that unpleasant! We pass by many bubbling pools along the way and are all amazed at the hiss of steam excaping from holes and cracks in the landscape.
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