Napier alleyway

Packed up and left Rotorua this morning, and went to another thermal area, Orakei Korako. We were ferried across the lake from the visitor centre, and left to our own devices among the huge silica terraces, lots more steamy things and bubbly mud pools. Lots more walking along and going 'wow' at every turn!

Ate lunch at Orakei Korako, sitting on a bench high above the steaming, bubbling silica terraces. Not your usual lunchtime view! We then drove on to Napier (another 150km), via a very quick stop at Lake Taupo. Checked in to our hotel there and had a short walk along the beach and through the city centre, looking at all the 1930s architecture (the city was razed by a devastating earthquake in 1931, and was rebuilt in the Art Deco style of the time).

I hope I'm not doing the city a disservice by choosing this as my favourite shot when there's so much impressive architecture around, but I just really liked the soft colours and light and shadows in this alleyway that we walked past.