#ILoveTaupo

In order to effectively hitchhike, I would first have to walk out of the city for half an hour. But when the footpath suddenly ended, fortunately someone picked me up and dropped me off directly on Highway 5 to Taupo.
I stood in the blazing sun and was more than grateful that a car stopped after a few minutes. No, not a car - a truck.
The second time in a delivery van was no less exciting than the first time, and I had a wonderful view of the landscape (and other cars).
Twice the driver almost crashed into another car because he was looking at his phone, but other than that, I enjoyed the two-hour drive.
Because the driver had to continue driving to Tauranga, he dropped me off about 5km outside of Taupo. And even for those 5km, I had to walk: in the blazing sun, with my heavy backpacks, sleeping bag, and blades on my feet. Not fun.
The closer I got to the center, the better the view of the Great Lake Taupo became, but at that moment I didn't have the nerves to enjoy the scenery.

After an hour, I finally arrived at the hostel and could check in. I am staying in a 12-person dorm room, but oddly enough, that's not a problem. We even have our own bathroom! So you don't have to walk all the way through the hostel to the toilets in the middle of the night, if you suddenly need to...
I also met Chiara and we teamed up for the afternoon. We went to the Visitor Centre (to grab brochures and flyers) and then to Pak'n'Save to do the weekly shopping.
Because we still had some time left, I wandered through the streets. It was very hot and the sun was blazing down on the city. The lake looked very inviting, but unfortunately I didn't have swimwear with me at that time.

Taupo is a pretty town with a great lakefront and several beautiful parks. It also has the Super Loo - do I need to say more?
There is a museum and a library again, and all the other amenities that I already know from the previous cities. All in all, quite pleasant.
When it became too hot temperature-wise, I also retreated to the cool rooms of the hostel.
In the early evening, Chiara and I walked to the beach and went for a swim. The water was cooler than expected, and to be honest: it was freezing cold. But at least I wasn't hot anymore afterwards.
In the evening, I sat down to plan the upcoming days: there is a lot to see and do!

So get ready for some, hopefully, spectacular pictures!