Some more of TRM’s fabulous inmates. Below are two tourists travelling on their own – Claudia Ronchetti from Italy bravely biking the length of NZ and Martina Edelmann from Germany doing it in style. Claudia provided SWMBO (She Who Must Be Obeyed is the Manager at TRM and is sometimes seen in the kitchen as well) with top chef lessons. After a memorable pasta evening, the weather forecast of strong winds and rain and cold wind-chill factor etc. looked rubbish. Claudia had enough near misses on SH1 so we recommended Plan B. instead. TRM drove Claudia over the central plateau to Raetihi (she pretended to pedal all the way) to miss the threatening windy weather – so naturally it was fine all the way. The two of them kept us entertained last night with refugee stories – so NZ has been warned… Martina had tramped the Tongariro Alpine Crossing and biked the Tongariro River Trail as well and completed a critical tasting of TRM’s wine selection (half empty bottles left behind by other tourists). They are both mistakenly heading for the South Island so other accommodation suppliers are advised to bribe Claudia to cook a mean Italian dish and Martina prefers Riesling…

After some recent critical press about other questionable tourists from England, this is a reminder that most are so nice and so much fun. They confirm to us of all the good experiences we can enjoy in NZ. and how lucky we are. What lovely tourists…

But no TRM report is complete without a fishy story. So here is Andre from Albany, Auckland with his excellent brown trout – what absolutely splendid condition – the trout that is. Guessed about 7 pound?. Hooked by drifting a large cicada pattern in the Tongariro River. By the next morning he had four smoking to perfection. Which pool I hear you ask? Andre is still here so you will need to ask him when you book in. You need to get here asap. The cicada season is arguably the most exciting fishing you can experience on the Tongariro – if you can bear the noise…