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The Central Volcanic Plateau

The road trip continued on from Rotorua to the Central North Island volcanic plateau...   a filming site for the Lord of the Rings.

This picture was actually a result of a mistake...   the driver took the wrong highway and we ended zigging when we should have been zagging...   but at the top of  this mountain pass we got this unexpected great view back to where we were supposed to be heading...    so some mistakes can be happy ones.

Finally after a minor longcut we looped back onto the correct road.   (The driver was so taken with this shot he now has it as his desktop wallpaper.)

The delegation was very interested in taking pictures of Mt Doom...  (Mt Ngahoe).

The evenings accommodation is found at the foot of Mt Ruapehu...  filming site of Emin Muil.

Just as the sun was setting the delegation headed up the Whakapapa skifield road to take in the view from the top...   this picture was taken halfway up the skifield road in an area known as scoria flat.   By July this area will all be covered with snow.   The filming site for Emin Muil was at the top of this road.

Even if internet access is too expensive, there is always good old SimCity...   Hmm...   I wonder what he might be making...   something schulmariffic I am sure.