Day 6 Huka Falls, Lake Taupo

The rain has stopped and the tiredness of the first few days is also gone. After a long breakfast, the path leads to the Huka Falls, a cascade of waterfalls below Lake Taupo. The 100 m wide Waikato River squeezes into a narrow 15 m wide canyon and flushes an average of 140,000 liters per second over the individual steps. The power of the river is impressive. On the way to Lake Taupo, there are the craters of the moon. I see the sign on the road and spontaneously turn off. The advantage of not having a plan. And it will be the highlight of the day. I put on my hiking shoes and start the one-hour walk. It goes over boardwalks and paths to crater-like areas from which boiling water, steam or mud emerge. Lake Taupo is only a few minutes' drive away. On the shore of the lake, it is calm and the sun heats up the temperature to over 20 degrees. After a long afternoon break, it starts pouring rain. At the end of the day, I arrive at the Holiday Park in the national park. It's unbelievably raining, the reception is already closed. The owner still warmly welcomes me, I should just choose a spot and come to the office tomorrow. Actually, the plan for tomorrow is to finally do the Tongariro Crossing, one of the most beautiful mountain hikes in the world. Hard to imagine with only about 4 degrees and the rain that is flooding everything. I've been waiting for a good weather window for three days...