Taupo is building its reputation as New Zealand’s endurance sports capital; The IRONMAN every March with the ACROSS THE LAKE SWIM organ-ised by Rotary in late February as a warm up. If you prefer foot slugging, the OXFAM TRAIL WALKER

may be your thing if you can get a team of four together to walk 100km in less than 36 hours. Then there is the 160km ‘LAKE TAUPO CYCLE CHALLENGE’ and several marathons and half marathons and I’ve surely forgotten other less popular sports events. But did you know that there are also plenty of cool artistic happenings!

The Queen’s birthday weekend gives me three good reasons to take to the lake to feed my inner culture vulture; THE RIVERSIDE MARKET taking place every Saturday always features work by local crafts people. The RE-SPIN vinyl fair is a regular record swap-sell put on for vinyl collectors and then there is the first

annual TAUPO ART TRAIL.From where I set out – close to Te Kuiti - the ride to Taupo is

reason enough to enjoy taking to the road. Even if it is a detour, I’d recommend SH3 over SH1 to anyone travelling from the North who has an extra hour to spare; you’ll get to take in what I believe to be the most varied and soothing countryside of the Waikato including some of my all-time favourite country roads. It confirms the challenge artists have, trying to compete with nature’s best. Always when I get to Scott Road (State Highway 30) I start hearing Paul McCartney in my head. Travelling past the Pureora Forest Park where the podocarps invade the road, past the giant totara tree – signposted as an easy tourist walk of about half an hour there and back, I get to the long stretched rolling hills that lead to Mangakino. The funny thing is that the trip offers completely different sights going or coming back; close to Whakamaru the ‘Dragon Mountain’ looks like a sleeping dinosaur and on the other side of Poihipi Road,

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01. No time to check out the W2K trail or Kiwi Outback Adventures 02. Taupo is best known for its endurance sports events 03. The podocarps invade highway 30 04. Past Pureora Forest Park with Mt Pureora’s distinctive pyramid shape. 05. The giant Totora tree is signposted as an easy walk 06. Mt Titiraupenga – photo Steve Makin

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Can man compete with nature? A culture vulture goes on the trail to discover Taupo’s art collective, swap some vinyl and test taste buds

AN ARTSY FARTSY ENDURANCE

WEEKEND IN TAUPO

+ MONICA LOUISMAP WAIKATO FROM TE KUITI TO TAUPO, HIGH-WAY 30/WESTERN BAY HIGHWAY /POIHIPI ROAD

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LIFESTYLE ARTSY FARTSY TAUPO

Mount Titiraupenge gets a different shape with each bend and turn of the road. On the way back from Taupo to Te Kuiti it is Mount Pureora that draws the attention. On my way I make a mental note to get back in touch with John and Mariata Paki from AWHINA TOURS who operate a farm stay and tourism business in this area. I have to plan that long promised date to experience one of their guided wilderness walks.

You can choose different loops to get to Taupo which is a plus now this region is starting to be back on the map thanks to the new cycling and walking trails. On the corner of Western Bay and Poihipi Road I stop off for a cuppa with Mike and Lynn of Bird Cottage. They tell me that the cycle trails and Te Aotearoa (The great walking trail) are reviving interest in their place. Lynn shows me a super cute photo she took of Mike with his new pet hedgehog

discovered in the garden a few mornings ago. We chat a bit about the feedback from cyclists, mainly city folks, who come to ride the newly opened section of the Great Lake Trail and often combine Taupo with the Waikato River Trail or Timber Trail. Then I’ve got to make haste to be on my way.

I arrive in Taupo in time for the start of the Riverside Market where my friend Monika Vincent has a stand with her business partner, raw food chef Carolyn McCormack . From their mobile food van they sell raw pizzas and chocolate-sauerkraut-brownies and they sell like the proverbial cakes. I know it sounds yuck but I can guarantee that not only does it taste fab, it will make you feel like the Energizer bunny all day. The two enterprising dames have been feeding the hip, raw food followers of fashion their healthy and appetizing goods for almost two years now. In anticipation of the opening of their shop, cakes can be sampled at Taste Café in Taupo and at events like Wanderlust or at the Riverside market.

With a green shake and crunchy flax cracker in my stomach I feel the force. Unfortunately there is no time to check out the many other yummy stands and I have to give Dan the Fishman, Honey Bob and Bruce’s sausages a miss. There are craft stalls with must-have tea cosies and rustic furniture, fresh veggies and flower stalls, handmade chocolates and more but I keep my focus. I head for the ART LOUNGE where I first get to log several boxes of rare vinyl up 30 steps of stairs before meeting the other vinylphiles who have come

to swap and sell some beauties. There are rare items by Hendrix, Ten Years After or Chuck Berry and I learn that exceptional albums can fetch up to $100 or more. Some fine Funk, Blues, Jazz and Rock & Roll changes hands. I part with my Areetha in Paris with pain in my heart but acquire a wonderful LP of Dave Brubeck with Carmen McRae and swap unloved LPs for Shirley Horn with the Quincy Jones Orchestra and a double LP of Joan Baez singing ballads.

The ART LOUNGE is good example of new age entrepreneurs creating a lifestyle away from the rat race by combining talent with

some business sense. Photographer Brian M Smith and Mira Corbova – Smith who makes what she calls abstract energy art - have found each other in more ways than one. The couple puts on events like the record fair and concerts. The lounge doubles as a gallery exposing their work as well hosting guest artists. Brian helps me with my crates and introduces me to the others. The day passes quickly thanks to some great encounters with colourful characters that fill me in on trivial knowledge about the habits of Stan Getz and the falling out of Sly with the Family Stone. I’m loving it!

07. Dragon Mountain at Whakamaru 08. At the Art Lounge I part with

some oldies and acquire some new gems during the monthly record fair

RESPIN 09-10. Raw Balance sell sauerkraut chocolate brownies like

the proverbial (raw) cakes

11. Brian in front of his photos and Mira’s energy art 12. Mira Corbova sitting pretty with her artwork in

the back and some photos of Brian visible

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LIFESTYLE ARTSY FARTSY TAUPO

There isn’t enough time today to catch up with Mira and Brian but I’m staying overnight because the next day Monika ( my namesake and raw food friend) is booked to perform with her husband Jersey Bob. Bob and Monika have previously performed in our own urban salon in Benneydale – The ArtDoc Gallery - and I have become a fan instantly. Bob has released 14 CDs filled with his Bob Dylan like blues and tomorrow’s performance is his homecoming gig after a lengthy New Zealand Tour.

Musicians and RV Gypsies have something in common, sharing both the passion and pain of being on the road; we know about missing out on birthday party invitations or weekly bridge clubs - once you’ve become a true vagabond people stop asking you after a few attempts, thinking that ‘you are never at home anyway.’ Being on the road can be hard slog, depending on weather or other conditions like the need for a fixed arrival time or destination. But all this is outweighed when you meet the other hobos and get to share stories of adventure. This stuff is the material for Bob’s song writing which he mixes with playing a mean guitar and harmonica and telling tons of anecdotes during his performances. If you see him billed anywhere, I’d recommend to take time to catch him in concert. Monika joins him on stage when she can, playing percussion and making the performing and the travel that much more enjoyable for Bob.

I have stayed over with Monika and Bob and managed to sneak in my favourite pastime in Taupo; soaking in the hot pools at night when the steam and ferns turn the scene into a fantasy dreamscape.

In the morning there is just enough time for me to check out some of the galleries on the 2015 Art Trail. This is a project organised by

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TAUPO ART CONNECTION, a group of local artists ranging from the professional to the enthusiastic hobbyist. The project has the intention of bringing visual artists from the region together. Painters, wood turners, sculptors and printmakers share their love of art and socialise on a monthly basis to network and encourage each other creatively. The Art Connection website was launched over a year ago and the trail is one of their projects as is the planned production of the 2016 Art Calendar that will feature work by local artists.

In all there are almost 30 galleries or studios open to the public during Queens Birthday weekend. I only have time to visit LAVA GLASS, home to glass artist Lyndon Over. Here wood turner Nikki Penlington is the guest artist. At the TAUPO MUSEUM several local artists are exposed and their work is for sale. One of the guest artists at the Art Lounge is Allan Trembath who uses automotive paints and airbrush to create landscapes. During the vinyl fair his work is a bit on the back ground but the next day art lovers no longer need to compete for space to view the expo.

I leave Taupo, fully fed on soul food with raw herbal brews, fine music, conversation and visual arts blending in my mind. I leave before dark with the intention to stop at Kiwi Outback Adventures because I’ve always been curious about their glowworm tours. I’m not that keen on their paint gun battle field but wouldn’t mind having a go at riding one of their ATV buggies.

As always there is lack of time; I don’t get to Outback nor do Monika and I walk the track from Spa Thermal Park to Huka Falls and I forgo the intended detour to the Western Bay Highway to check out the Waihora Lagoon walking track.

The French say SOIT – SO BE IT. All the more reason to wait for finer weather and base myself at the KAKAHO CAMP SITE in Pureora Forest Park; from there I can check out the lagoon walk and cycle the extended trails from Kinloch or take our dog Blue on the W2K track (Whakaipo to Kinloch) That way I have a good

excuse to test the cycle Ferry and no doubt will get to report back to you in a future edition of RV Lifestyle. That’s all part of l’Art de vivre – the art of living day by day.

13. Jersey Bob – Bob Dylan by night and Bike Bob by day 14. Jersey Bob at his day job 15. Back with a mind full of art at ArtDoc Gallery 16. My favourite pastime -soaking in

the hot pools - gets an extra dimension at night 17. Taupō Museum has two galleries and was featuring and selling artworks by local artists.

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