Tongariro Crossing, Lake Taupo and Coromandel

Hello dear ones,
on Saturday morning our alarm clock rang very early at 4.10 a.m. After turning it off twice, we had to get up to catch our shuttle to the start of the Tongariro Crossing. After accidentally driving to the wrong parking lot and incurring additional parking fees, our mood was not at its peak. But as soon as we arrived at the trek, this changed and we started walking towards the volcano with a few other early risers. The first part was quite easy to walk and led us to the base of the first steep ascent. After reaching the top, we were rewarded with the first rays of sun. We also saw Mount Egmont, which we had visited two days earlier, from above. After a short straight section on a plateau, we had to climb the last kilometer uphill, over many rocks and debris. But we were amazed by the view from the Red Crater. We could see the distant mountains and look into the volcano crater with sulfur clouds rising. On the other side, we had a view down to the Emerald Lakes. After reaching the highest point, we descended almost exclusively downhill, passing by Blue Lake. There we marveled at the view towards Lake Taupo to the north. This is the largest lake in New Zealand and was also formed in a volcano crater. The view remained almost unchanged for the entire way down and so we decided to take a dip in the lake after the exhausting 5 1/2-hour 21-kilometer hike. We found a free camping spot right by the lake and spent the rest of the day in the sun and water. The next day, we stopped at a market during a sightseeing tour through Taupo and strolled around. Afterwards, we continued to Huka Falls, a waterfall that is created by the very wide river having to navigate through a valley that is not even half as wide. This creates a high speed and we could see many whirlpools. But above all, the color of the water was once again fascinating. Then we drove to the Aratiatia Rapids and arrived just in time to see the opening of the gates and the flooding of the valley behind it. The river generates electricity through hydropower and it was quite spectacular to see how the valley changed due to the water masses. Our next highlight in Taupo were the Hot Pools, or rather a hot river, which leads into the larger cold Waikato River. Due to the volcanic activities in the area, there are always such hot springs where you can take a bath. Although the spot was very crowded with many tourists, we still enjoyed relaxing in the really warm water. For cooling off, we could swim across to the icy cold river;) During lunch, the bungee jumpers offered us a good show, and some even jumped into the river. In the afternoon, we decided to take a walk through the Craters of the Moon. Due to the volcanic landscape, several craters have formed there, from which hot steam rises. Although it doesn't quite look like the moon due to the many plants, it is still surreal to walk through the landscape. Afterwards, the journey continued towards Rotorua, which seemed a bit too touristy to us at first glance. We quickly decided to drive a little further and stopped at a camping spot in the forest towards the coast, where we caught the last rays of sunshine. This morning we arrived in the Bay of Plenty region, a huge bay that stretches across several cities. There we climbed Mount Maunganui, which is the only hill in the middle of the coast for miles around. From there, we had an incredible view of the beautiful beach and the entire bay, as there wasn't a single cloud in the sky. Then we went into the ocean, which is much warmer here than on the South Island. As we strolled through the small town, it felt like we were in California, or at least how we imagine it to be;) Afterwards, we continued north to the Coromandel Peninsula and region. There, we visited beautiful surf beaches under the bright sun and in the afternoon we hiked to the Cathedral Coves. Those are limestone formations and caves on the beach, which were beautifully set against the turquoise water, simply incredible! Now we have found a campsite in the city. Surprisingly, it is even nicer here than at some of the natural spots and we were able to enjoy the last rays of sunshine of the day during dinner.
See you later,
Malia