It has all gone so fast and tomorrow we will get on Quantas Airways and fly for 12 hours to the L.A. airport. We arrive at 6:30 AM on April 2 and passed the international date line, so we are having 2 Good Fridays.

OUR LAST ADVENTURE-APRIL 1, 2010-

What a fabulous ending to our wonderful adventure. We were picked up at the Huka Lodge by a heliocopter and taken to a boat on the Lake Taupo and then went fishing for trout. Lake Taupo is the largest austrial lake in the Southern Hemisphere and is the largest volcanic crater lake in existence. The last eruption was 186 AD. Don caught the first (and biggest) fish weighing in at 4 and 1/2 pounds and 20 inches long. We had lunch on the boat (as if we needed another meal!) and then I caught a 3 and1/2 pound 20 inches long rainbow trout.
The scenery from the air was spectacular. Photos follow.

DINNER AT THE HUKA LODGE

DON went fly fishing outside our room in the afternoon and then we went to another 5 course dinner in the Wine Cellar with 2 couples from Texas. They also had been on the Sydney-Auckland Crystal Cruise. The gardenias are everywhere and are beautiful. Photos follow.

A MORNING WALK TO THE HUKA FALLS

We left the grounds of the Huka Lodge and walked to see the Huka Falls.

OUR ROOM

THE HUKA LODGE - MARCH 31, 2010

We got up and went to the lodge for breakfast and then walked around the grounds.

DINNER AT THE HUKA LODGE, NORTH ISLAND, NEW ZEALAND- MARCH 30, 2010

We arrived at THE HUKA LODGE in the afternoon and sat down to a lovely salad for lunch and then went to our fabulous room and rested and slept and prepared for Cocktails at 7 and dinner at 8 in the lodge. There are approximately 20 guests and we had drinks with them and then dinner with a couple from Germany. Five courses and I was so busy eating that I forgot to photograph them!! But, of course, tomorrow is another day.

AUCKLAND, NEW ZEALAND - MARCH 30, 2010

We have concluded our "Kangaroos & Kiwis' Cruise in Auckland and are disembarking and going to the Huka Lodge in Taupo, NZ. We sailed 3,862 miles from Sydney, Australia to Auckland, New Zealand from March 18 to March 30. What a grand adventure.