Well, I alarmed some family and friends with my health scares in the previous post but I promise I am on the mend now and (take note anyone reading from Faculty HR) I kept working throughout; so it was not severe and I am feeling better each day especially after a weekend in Lake Taupo wth Garry and Helen looking after us and showing us around. I will need a separate blog for all the pharmacies I’ve visited in the southern hemisphere and the nice pharmacists I’ve met along the way.  Good people all of them.

Early morning Lake Taupo, Saturday 23rd Feb

Ok – So…Taupo. A town on the northern shores of Lake Taupo which is a lake that’s slightly bigger than Singapore in the middle of the North Island.  We had arrived by the end of the previous post and yesterday – Saturday 23rd – set about some exploration of the local area.  This included visiting hot springs, spectacular water falls, thermal plunge pools and more. Today – Sunday 24th – this included seeing mud erupting out of the ground in bubbling hot mini-geysers and wading in a Hot River.  This is a river that is hot. Very hot. And full of mineral goodness  – but also the possibility of Amoebic meningitis if you duck your head under and accidentally swallow any.  Given my recent track record I judiciously kept my head above water throughout…

This is indeed a strange and beautiful country.  More anon…and more in the way of pictures from my Flickr page below…