the route

Monday, March 24

Tarawera to Taupo. Finally, a bit of clear weather. The sun felt amazing after a very soggy night. Fortunately, the day turned out to be mostly flat cruising. Lots and lots of trees (mostly of the manmade kind). Eventually, the huge Lake Taupo appeared below us in the distance -- our reward for climbing hills and enduring rain. The history of Lake Taupo is that it lies on a fault of volcanoes resulting from earthquakes, leaving openings for volcanic eruption, from the Pacific ocean (White Island, Mt. Maunganui, through Rotorua (Mt. Tarawera), Tongariro National Park (Mt. Ruapehu which is active, Mt. Tongariro, and Mt. Ngauruhoe) to the Taranaki region (Mt. Taranaki) on the Tasman Sea. Lake Taupo itself is made up of craters filled with water.

See the map for this day

	Monday, March 24
	Tarawera to Taupo. Finally, a bit of clear weather. The sun felt amazing after a very soggy night. Fortunately, the day turned out to be mostly flat cruising. Lots and lots of trees (mostly of the manmade kind). Eventually, the huge Lake Taupo appeared below us in the distance -- our reward for climbing hills and enduring rain. The history of Lake Taupo is that it lies on a fault of volcanoes resulting from earthquakes, leaving openings for volcanic eruption, from the Pacific ocean (White Island, Mt. Maunganui, through Rotorua (Mt. Tarawera), Tongariro National Park (Mt. Ruapehu which is active, Mt. Tongariro, and Mt. Ngauruhoe) to the Taranaki region (Mt. Taranaki) on the Tasman Sea. Lake Taupo itself is made up of craters filled with water.