Weekend at Whakapapa

It was a mad day at work for me on Monday. We were  busier than usual, but at about half past 1 it went really mad. We didn't know why at the time, but it was just after the Prime Minister's speech about going into lock down. I had afternoon tea at 4 40 pm. Eddie came and got me at 5 30. I was very pleased. I was quite tired and well over the day. I don't know how the supermarket workers coped.

Yesterday it was a bit more calmer and I was able to go home at 2. My job is finished now. Although it is a food shop, my boss has decided It is safer if he closes. We aren't sure what is happening with Eddie's job yet.

I got some paint yesterday, so Eddie can finish the painting. A lot of people are painting. At 8 in the morning Mitre 10's paint department was quite busy.

We had a lovely weekend at Whakapapa. Our daughter was going to do the Ring of Fire, which is a run around the volcanoes. Of course with all the corona virus it was cancelled. We had booked a cabin at the Whakapapa camping ground, so we decided to go and stay as we had paid for it. Originally we were going to take the camper. They said we could have fitted in, but we couldn't see where, so we were glad we changed our mind.

We did a couple of walks and had dinner at the local pub. There were a few people there who looked like they may have been doing the run that Katrina was going to do, but came anyway because they had booked their accommodation like we did. I talked to 1 lady who had done a 20 k run that morning as that was the closest she could get to doing the 72 ks.

On Saturday we went for a drive to National Park and checked out the Kiwi camp there. It is a cheap stay over place with toilets, showers and a laundry. We had morning tea at the National Park Railway Station, which is now a cafe. I had very yummy savory muffin and Eddie had a toasted sandwich that came with a salad. I ate the salad ha ha. 

We were going to go up the gondola and check out the highest restaurant in the country, but it was closed for maintenance. We decided we would go before we left for home on Sunday, but it was wet and there would have been no view, so there didn't seem to be much point. We will have to go back. There are lots of nice walks to do there. 

National Park Railway Station

Morning tea time

Whakapapanui Stream. There is also a Whakapapiti stream in the area

Lots of these flowering bushes. I think it is heather

Mt Tongiriro and Mt Ngauruhoe

Mt Ruapehu peeping over the brow of the hill I had just climbed

Views from the top of the hill. The little bit of blue you can see is the Chateau roof