We are in Whakatane today; the sun is shining and there isn't a cloud in the sky. But I wanted to share my photos of the beautiful Reserve in Taupo. It was established in 1966, and is filled with native and introduced trees and plants beautifully maintained by maintained by a big team of volunteers. The camellias are just finishing and the rhododendron are spectacular. We walked around the main route and diverted through several of the bush walks. I kept stopping to take photos, and we met three young women from Sweden, Germany and New York holidaying in NZ on their gap year, looking for a place to have a picnic; some young mothers walking their babes in pushchairs and quite a few runners.
Here we are with a stunning red rhodo as background.
I don't know the names of the rhododendrons - maybe one/some of our readers will recognise them.
view from a great picnic spot
We came around a corner on the walk and this was the view. Sunlight sparkling on Lake Taupo.
The camellia tree was almost finished for the spring and I spent a while finding one that hadn't started to go brown.
And then I came across this lovely pieris.
There's a bumblebee in the centre of one of the flowers!
Most of the azaleas were past their best, but this one shone in the sunshine
Way in the distance down the lake are the three big mountains - Ruapehu, Ngarahoe and Tongariro.
These are Ruapehu top, and Ngarahoe below.
We love mini golf, and any visit to Taupo requires several games and some grudge matches! The mini golf course is beautiful, just like a manicured garden.
Fionmna with her whole in one
And Stephen got a hole in one as well! Here he is celebrating.
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