Huka Falls

At sunrise we decided to jump into the freshly filled hot pools at our campsite. At night the pools are drained and each morning are filled with fresh hot water from the boiling spring. In the morning the water was even hotter at temperatures of close to 40⁰C.

Enjoy the fresh hot pools at the campsite

As usual we were the only car in the campsite as we were dwarfed by the large campervans that are so popular here. It’s funny the looks we get when we crawl out of the hatch in the morning – the puzzled looks on their faces wonder how it’s possible for 2 people to comfortable sleep in the Ractis.

After a quick dip we were off to Taupo to see the famous Huka falls. It was a beautiful sunny morning and the rushing blue waters glistened in the sunlight. Despite being much smaller than Canada’s Niagara Falls, it was still a beautiful picturesque area that left you amazed at the power of the water as it pushed through the raven into the open river.

Beautiful Huka Falls

On our way back to Taumarunui, we drove around the beautiful Taupo lake with the white tipped volcanoes barely visible in the distance beneath the clouds. The drive along the water really resembled the Cabot Trail – I wished we could have taken a picture but as usual there was no shoulder to pull over on the narrow roads. We made a pit stop at look-off point where we could see Taupo and Taumarunui in the distance on either side. On a clear day it would make for a beautiful 360 view of the mountains and green valleys.

Note to Mom and Dad – we found the most delicious licorice here – apparently New Zealanders really know how to do licorice right! I will send you some (if you don’t get a chance to visit)

Delicious NZ made Licorice