Saturday, 4 September 2010

Sunday – Whakapapa, exploring the alpine environment!

Today we decided to have a day out walking.  The weather was not great, the clouds had dropped and there was an occasional spell of misty rain, but nothing was going to stop us!

We started on the Silica Rapids trail, a 2 hour, 7km hike through alpine forest alongside a beautiful stream. 

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We arrived at the Silica Rapids, named for the silica mineral deposits formed here by the rapids on the Waikare Stream.  The rocks that the water flowed over were a bright orange colour.

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After a quick stop at the campsite to have some lunch we started our 2nd walk of the day – Taranaki Falls loop track, a 2 hour, 6km hike.  On arrival at the falls we sat and watched as the water plummeted 20 metres (66ft) down a major lava flow.

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The rest of the walk was through barren open country where lava had once flowed from previous eruptions.

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