Mount Taranaki
With our muscles still sour from the Tongariro Crossing, we decided not to climb to the top, but to hike around the area of the mountain’s foot, which consists mostly of lush forests.
The fellowship of the Tongariro Crossing
Advertised as „New Zealand’s best dayhike“ we went for it, of course. Featuring the real Mount Doom from Lord of the Rings, craters and active volcanos, this is truly an awesome hike. It’s almost 20 kilometers one way, so you either book transportation by bus back to your starting point where you’ve parked your car (which was completely out of the question for us – 30 Dollars per Person for 20 kilometers driving, what a ripp-off!) or, like we did,…
Taupo
We spent the next two nights in Taupo. Mainly because of the free camp site we found: Reid’s Farm, beautifully located directly at the shore of the Waikato River. We spent the days walking around the town, hiking along the river and to the famous Huka Falls. Apparently, McDonald’s is an attraction in Taupo, too. They’ve built a dining room inside an old airplane.