The wanderlust over sticks & stones, the jungle and volcanoes & bathtubs-lakes

Full of energy and eager to unpack our hiking shoes, we set off on Monday for the Tarawera Trail, which is 15km long and was only opened in 2014. We became aware of it through a small mention in the travel guide. The water taxi booking for the return trip did not deter us. The trail went up and down through the forest and along the lake, with wonderful views of the lake and surroundings. The weather was slightly cloudy, which was perfect for the hike because it was over 20 degrees and felt like 25 degrees. The surroundings kept making us stop and take photos because there were so many huge fern trees that looked totally tropical. Just 10 meters further, it sometimes looked completely different and we found ourselves in a coniferous forest.

In the end, a hot water beach awaited us, which we didn't have high expectations for. But in the end, it really impressed us - a campsite that can only be reached by trail or water taxi, with water activities, black swans (okay, we don't know if they're actually swans, we still have to find out) and a hot spring in the lake. A dream come true for me! Splashing around in a lake that is as warm as a bathtub! Amazing! And so relaxing after the hike 😉 I didn't want to leave.

So we had an hour to spare until the water taxi arrived and we relaxed in the water and enjoyed the view. Two girls were with us, who had to hike the whole way back because they wanted to save money on the taxi. Backpacker life, you know.

Then we took the water taxi back with 3 others towards the starting point. Because we picked up other hikers from another point, we had a tour of the lake with the water taxi. ☺️

After the hike, we went straight to Huka Falls, which are considered one of the most photographed attractions here. And what can I say, the amount of water is really impressive and each view is worth a photo. There is even a jet boat ride into the mist of the waterfall. But Thomas wasn't completely convinced yet 🤪 we still have the flyer, though!

The campsite nearby was okay, we would say... near the Waikato River and with plenty of space, which also means with many fellow campers 😉 doesn't matter... we spontaneously decided to do the Tongariro Crossing one day earlier because the weather on Tuesday was supposed to be better and I was hoping that we could see Mt. Taranaki from a distance. So we planned to start the hike at 6am from the campsite.

We got up early, only brushed our teeth, and drove to the starting point at the other end of Lake Taupo in Tongariro National Park. When we arrived, we quickly had breakfast and got ready for the hike, then took a shuttle to the starting point. The ride there was quite adventurous (Jason wouldn't drive that fast) and already then I saw that we were really lucky today and could see Mt. Taranaki all the way!

We had 19km ahead of us, over sticks and stones in the blazing sun 😁 but at that altitude it was only 10 degrees, which was quite pleasant for the hike. The first kilometers were quite easy and pleasant, with a view of the volcano in front of us. We climbed up the Devil's Staircase to the crater rim of Mt. Tongariro. When we reached the top, it was really impressive. The red crater erupted in 2012 and has been officially active again since then. So we took a lot of pretty photos of the crater, the panoramic views, the crater lakes, and the hike was definitely worth it. The way down from the crater was also really fun (just gravel 😂 everyone with sneakers slipped down...) and our opinion changed from "anyone can do it" to "okay, maybe not older people who are not so sure-footed". Then we went down through the huge crater towards the end, which was quite long and put a lot of strain on our toes and tested our nerves 😂 the landscape changed completely again and we were able to enjoy the panoramic view all the way to Taupo over the lake, and we ended up in a bush forest. What a tour! Happy to have reached the car, the plan was to refill water so we could shower and cook again, go shopping, and go to the campsite to enjoy the rest of the evening.

And that was really enjoyable. We found a great spot right at the end of the campground behind a huge Britz camper (they're really huge), with direct lake access and a perfect view of the sunset. We chatted briefly with the couple next to us and then went into the lake to splash around. The couple has been to New Zealand three times already and plan to come back every two years, and with their stories about the South Island, we are even more excited about the coming weeks. We spent the evening relaxing with wine and watching the sunset. The view was so good that we left the windows open at night just to see the lake.

Today (Wednesday), we took it easy with coffee in Taupo and explored the town a bit. Taupo is a beautiful holiday resort that offers a lot (but more for families) with the largest lake in New Zealand. The plan for the onward journey was to go to Napier first to do the gannet hike to Cape Kidnapper and then orient ourselves towards Wellington. The gannet hike is an 8km walk along the beach to the cape where thousands of gannets are supposed to breed. You can only walk it during low tide, which you have to check in advance.

On the way to Napier, we spontaneously decided to reschedule our ferry for Friday night to be on the South Island two days earlier. We have heard several times now that the hikes there are even longer and we are really excited to do more hiking 😉.

So we only made a quick stop in Napier to replenish our coffee supplies, stretch our legs a bit, and briefly explore the city. The city itself is quite small and located on the coast, but it looks really cute. The city was destroyed by an earthquake in 1931 and was then rebuilt in the Art Deco style - and it shows!

Just as we were heading towards Jason, the weather got worse (so also not suitable for hiking) and we started towards Wellington... we have about 325km ahead of us until we reach the capital, which we want to explore tomorrow before our ferry departs.

The road takes us past many sheep, birds, and cows, and the vegetation keeps changing, making the journey beautiful and varied.

Well - that's what I'm saying now... we still have 190km to go! The photos are iPhone photos because the camera is in the back of the car 😀

By the way, many people are excited about Jason. There have been several people who approached us, wanted to take a look inside, and even a lady from New Zealand took photos to plan her next vacation 😝 small but nice and practical with the shower... our Jason. Hopefully he will last until the end! He has already traveled 1500km with us on the North Island.