Taupo to Rotorua

I had a wander around Taupo in the morning. The town was filling up with athletes for the Ironman Challenge, so I had to constantly dodge bikes and runners on the roads (luckily they only did the swimming in the lake).I called in at McDonald's for a coffee, this must be the only McDonald's with a Plane half parked on the roof which you can go and sit in and eat your meal. I filled up with fuel and headed out of town towards Rotorua. After about an hour I came to the Waiotapu Thermal Wonderland. The name sounds a bit naff but the walk around the area wasn't. The area is home to a load of thermal springs and hot mud pools. Sulfurous steam pours out of cracks in the rocks and grounds everywhere and strange coloured water bubbles in pools. The walk took me about 2 hours around the various pools, rock formations and streams, and was very impressive. Back in the car I drove the final 45 minutes into Rotorua and booked into a 'boutique' hostel for the night although I think it was really a refurbished old one.