Skiing!

Exactly 6 months after our wedding in the February sun, we headed up to Taupo to stay with Izzy's cousin Charlie, her husband Rob and their pooch Oscar for a weekend in the snow on Mount Ruapehu. After waiting for a couple of weeks for a sufficient 'base' of 100 cm to appear (Izzy's criteria, not mine!) we headed up to Whakapapa resort on Friday 10th August...

It was a stunning morning - we left early for the scenic drive and I don't think i've ever seen such a contrast of hazy morning mist and bright blue sky in one place before! Must be something to do with the lake...

This photo to the right shows Mount Ngauruhoe, it's got a classic volcano shape with a flat top, then to it's left - Mount Tongariro, which was still puffing with steam from its erruption earlier that week! Eek! Made for an incredible backdrop to my first New Zealand ski expedition.

And here's Ruapehu.

So once at the top, skis rented, picnic packed, we headed up for one of the best days skiing I've ever had! Hardly anyone was there so the lift queues were tiny compared with what I'm used to in Europe, and while the pistes are shorter and there's a distinct lack of trees, there was something pretty special about skiing on a volcano.