Five Old Trout go wild at Rotoiti!

From top left: Susie playing her fish; Linda with trout landed; Julie, Linda, Rosie: Linda and her two strikes; Vicky lands her first trout; Five old trout: My contested catch; Rosie and her trout, Mois in action!

Some people are born lucky and I feel I'm one! I've know four of these girls since I was 5 years old. Thats a passel of years back now! For a long time we lost one of our little group but she came back to us last year and we've just have a fab reunion at Lake Rotoiti. 

Highlights were catching trout on Wednesday morning with fishing guide Lindsay Lyons from Rotorua who put us on the spot. After trolling four lovely trout from the glassy lake we five gals shocked the bejeezus out of said guide by abandoning ship for a couple of laps round the boat. Later he confessed that in his 30 years of guiding no-one had ever leapt overboard to swim in the lake!! We Dio girls thought nothing of it! I was the only one whose line had not been lucky that day so the decision was made that whoever hooked up the next fish would let me play and land it! Linda was the poor mug who had to relinquish her rod into my desperately grasping hands! (I've felt guilty ever since for tugging the handle from her!!) Anyhoo that was the fifth fish and we went home happy agreeing that Linda won the fishing competition.

Mud babes: Julie, Linda, Rosie and Susie in the Hells Gate Mud pool!

The night before we'd slathered ourselves in beautifying grey mud at Hells Gate Spa, Tikitere! If you want a unique kiwi experience take a friend and try out the mud pools. It's quite something at night with the steaming geothermal field surrounding the pools.

Okere Falls, Lake Rotoiti. NZ 

A bush walk earlier had taken us to the Hinemoa Steps at Okere Falls on the pounamu green Kaituna river. Sadly this was the same day a well known kayaker lost her life in this deep rushing gorge. Rafting companies and kayakers use the Kaituna daily and we were lucky enough to catch a couple of rafts descending the falls. Notice the ballet tutu effect of the white water in the middle photo!

Juju, Vicky, Linda, Susie with Tess and Lachie the westie in the forest. 

All in all a fun outdoorsy couple of days at my fav lake with fav girls.