That was me, though at ~1200 metres, not the tippy-top: MetService:
To anyone standing on top of Mt. Ruapehu right now, there is not a single cloud within approximately 125km of you… in any direction.
Well that was a … relief. Things aren’t always so … convenient at 1200 meters altitude.
Today’s plan is to drive to Whakapapa again, walk to Taranaki Falls — 6 Km loop, then Ridge Track — 1.4 Km return. Still thinking of yesterday’s wonderful Silica Rapids walk. Here are two different blue fungi from that track.
Useful words:
Accept that the present moment is rarely unbearable. …
Accept that the past is gone and isn’t coming back. …
Accept that the future hasn’t arrived and will always remain uncertain. …
Caution road sign: Kiwi crossing at night. With Mt Ruapehu in the background.
Silica Rapids walk could be named Fungus walk. I came across black, brown, white, blue, chestnut and even gold coloured fungi. These were pretty special!
Silica Rapids on the slopes of Mt Ruapehu. It was a fabulous walk through varied mountain landscapes.
My plan for today is to visit the Silica Rapids Walk and Punaruku Falls near Whakapapa Village. I won’t walk the loop, just there and back. Checking weather, roads etc as I don’t ‘do’ snow. A lot of visitors to that part of the country are there for skiing.
Mount Ruapehu appears across Lake Rotokura. I had a lovely 75 minute walk there but saw only a very few birds.
As I neared Waiouru snow-covered Mt Ruapehu made an appearance.
Today’s destination: Tongariro National Park:
Home to three active volcanic mountains, and iconic and majestic landscapes, Tongariro National Park has attracted adventurers of all ages since 1887.
On the plus side: I did manage about 5-6 hours sleep and only one of Sasha’s 3 poops in the middle of the night was indoors. [yawn] Turns out we need to be alert to the slightest hint she needs to go out. Old dog problems… 🐶
Tomorrow I head off to Tongariro National Park for a few days of easy short walks and some lounging around. Should be fun, though chilly.
Side eye. (Kingfisher) 🐦
I just watched Soul and found it remarkable. Uplifting, clever, funny. Loved hearing the Kiwi actor Rachel House as Terry the accountant. Visually it was amazing: the way the light played on Joe’s hands as he played the piano… 🎥
A genre I usually avoid is (heterosexual) romance, but Kristine Kathryn Rusch is such a skilled writer that I really enjoyed The Perfect Man:
[detective] Tasha Morgan finds herself dangerously attracted to sexy, mysterious Rick Chance … whose secret could get her killed.
I just rewatched How to Self-Publish A Novel from @Cheri in Micro Camp 2022 (17 minutes). This is such an excellent presentation, and packed full with useful info. If you’re thinking of publishing a novel then definitely watch. Shame I’m not writing a novel…
The government just opened up second Covid booster shots for the over-50s. I was astonished to get an appointment so quickly. Off for my boost this morning.
Today I’m watching a bunch of videos, like this one: How to use Back button auto focus with Fujifilm camera as another step in getting to know my camera better and maybe taking better photos.
Hope I remember I’ve changed how the Shutter button works next time I take a photo!
Waxeye stack. 🐦
