We began our first full day on the North Island at the Pukaha Mt. Bruce Wildlife Center. This Center houses some of New Zealand's most threatened species such as the Takahe, Kokako and Kiwi (birds), the Tuatara (reptile). The primeval forest at Pukakha Mt. Bruce is the largest remaining remnant of ancient forest on the North Island. We watched a baby Kiwi being fed by one of the staff as part of their restoration project. We enjoyed walking around their outdoor aviaries and even got a photo of a wild Kaka, a native parrot. Then it was off to Napier, in the heart of the Hawkes Bay region. Driving past kilometers of vineyards, we soon knew why they call it the wine capital of the North. We managed to find NZ's oldest winery, Mission Estate, which is housed in a converted Seminary, nestled above Napier. They have produced fine wines since 1851. After an overnight stay at a motel, we headed off to Lake Taupo, NZ's largest lake. The main road leading to the lake was again a steep, narrow, winding passage across the "hills". We discovered that logging is a big industry here and there were many, many precariously close encounters with huge, tandem logging trucks on these narrow roads. Not the most relaxing ride! Lake Taupo overlooks a volcano and is a beautiful lakeside resort community. It is springtime here so the summer time crowds and boats have not yet arrived. Pretty much every where we go, we have to ourselves. It's really heaven here!
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