We took her advice tho' in terms of the waterfall she told us about, which we'd never have discovered otherwise - at the end of a bumpy road through a little Maori settlement - type of place (past one house with french doors standing open from the bedroom) - quite a peaceful spot, near stream.
From there, on towards the mountains. (Mt. Tongariro, Mt. Ngauruhoe - the most actively volcanic-looking!, and Mt. Ruapehu, the biggest) We drove up to the chateau, midway up the largest most snow-covered mountain, and got a tent-site there. At the info center we found out about hikes from a woman with a suspiciously-American-sounding voice (she was from New Jersey, been here since the '70's) - took a fabulous hike to the Silica Rapids, going through various levels of terrain, across boardwalked swamp areas - beautiful - didn't see another soul!
At the kitchen area we met a hiker from Germany (Willie) and visited with him while there - also with Kirin, briefly, (an Aussie, there with his girlfriend, who was talking with an older American camper) - Jim and Willie especially exchanged stories, Jim having just returned from Germany.
