Preparations

As I mentioned in an earlier post, the first family arrived the same day as we did in Taupo last week, a few days later the two remaining families arrived and on the Friday a family friend from Auckland turned up to stay here too during the race - full house!





It's been really nice though to be at the same place all of us, and not spread out in different B&Bs all over town. We've all had such a good time all week (and compared to the weather this week, we were so lucky last week!).





Granddad and Grandma have been perfect hosts (of course!), and we have had one fab meal after the other - and enjoyed a few nice wines too..!



This is how the bottle collection looked - only half way through the week!!



The boys have enjoyed being able to go on rides together, both before and after the race; and us girls have been on walks and runs in the surroundings - and have had a bit of time too to do some shopping and have yummy café lunches in town!
Our friends even squeezed in some sightseeing, and visited the Huka Falls, the Lava Glass factory, the Craters of the Moon, Rotoroua Rainbow Springs Park and saw some boiling mud at one of the thermal areas close to us.

The kids of course have also enjoyed having some little friends here and most of the time we have neither heard or seem them, they've just been outside playing with each other. We also took them swimming (inside!) one day, and they've been to the playground and to the McDonald's. They've had a great week too!



(Must be the best McDonald's we've been to, not only does it have a huge playground - you are allowed to sit and eat your meal in an old refurbished DC3 Dakota!)