Suffering Sulphur

Ok guys.. you will be delighted to know that todays blog will be shorter cause I am up at cock crow (6am) to do a walk called the Tongariro Alpine Crossing, I met with a lovely girl called Julia from Munich last night in Rotorua and also my first Irish contact a girl called Julie from North Cork who both informed me that Tongariro was in the north island and not south as I had originally thought..( I really HAVE to read those guide books correctly). This changed my whole plans completely for what ever they were worth.. Instead of going to Lake Taupo I would head straight for the National Park and give Taupo a skip. I left smelly Rotorua at 9 after saying goodbye to the closest Harry Burke ( my brother in law) lookalike that I ever met. Har if you are reading this you will piss yourself with the similarities. Well apart from the christian name Phil his surname was Bourke and he was a teacher and retired after 30 odd years end of last year. He was follically challenged and had a grey goatee! Id say separated at birth Burkie!! After getting his email and a place to stay in Australia for the future I made a rapid rush for Wai-O-Tapu Thermal park cause Lady Knox was due to blow her top at 10.30 on the button. Lady Knox is a little like old faithful in Yellow Stone Nat Park in the US and she blows at 10.30 every day. Now I am a bit sceptical about this but they did admit that Lady Knox has a little assistance... and nooo.. someone does not switch on the kettle underneath!! They do throw some surfactants into the simmering mass of gurgling water and by God does  she blow. She blows for about an hour but all the 1000 people get bored after 5 mins and feck off elsewhere to inhale the sulphur from the "thermal wonderland". Speaking of sulphur I have a pain in my brain for the last two days and its def got to do with the stink of sulphur. After walking the wonderland did i not bump into both Julie from Cork and Julia from Germany again separately. Julia from Ger was interested in the walk tomorrow so we swopped numbers and headed off in the opposite directions. The wonderland was interesting but once u see one bubbling mass you have seen them all. In addition my stomach was churning with the smell and I just wanted out of there... I was most unpopular as I walked back against everyone else while they all Ooohed and Ahhhed at every little steam burst.
I must check the effect that sulphur has on the system cause I came over all funny for two days beacuse of it.
I got a booking in a hostel in the National Park called Ski Haus! Obviously Germanic in origin and so far Id say there is about 30% from there... and two girls from Norn Ireland!
Ambled my way in the blazing sunshine through the most wonderful farmland with the windows open and getting assulted by wasps stones and lots of flying things in the windows.When I was booking the Ski haus , the lady there said I should see Hooker Falls near lake Taupo. I did find the Huta Falls which were lovely! Of course I will make an appointemnt for an audiology check up on my return!. Drove through the early evening to the Tongiraro National Park where the scenery was just stunning and yes you will be subjected to my 1000 pics so far of every angle of the hills!
 I met up with Julia (German) and several others and we drank a good portion of my second 3 litre container of wine.. now to bed for my early start! Watch this space to see whether I make the 8 hour hike.. If there is wind as forecast then we wont be hiking simple as!! Sleep well all until tomorrow.
By the way for those not in the know..this walk location was used in Lord of the Rings movies!! So there... but damned if I know anything about that!!!!!!