Kaimanawa Forest Park, New Zealand

It lacks salt, but Lake Taupō is quickly becoming one of the favorite places to visit on the weekends. An easy 3.5-hour drive south from Auckland, Lake Taupō is Australasia's largest lake and roughly the same size as Singapore. The Romans and Chinese both wrote of seeing an immense fire in the sk...

It is recommended to do this hike on a clear day if you would like to have good views from Urchin Trig. We did it on a cloudy and misty day and although the hike was still awesome, the top was shrouded in a heavy layer of mist. We could not continue along the ridge or get any views of the surroun...

This hike begins in the Spa Thermal Park and there is one clear path to follow. After a couple minutes there is a bridge that crosses over a small section of the lake. This section of the lake is formed by several hot pools and is a great place to swim for a bit. From here the trail continues ...

To anyone who has seen The Lord of the Rings then you will have a little extra incentive for going on this one of a kind trek through Mordor (Northern New Zealand in reality). The backdrop for a good portion of the trek showcases the mighty Mt. Ngaurauhoe, also referred to as Mt. Doom. Yes, you r...

I may be crushin' dreams, but Mount Doom isn't actually the real name of the mountain Frodo climbed to destroy the ring (sorry LOTR fans), but the actual mountain does exist and it's called Mount Ngauruhoe! Located in the Tongariro National Park of North Island, New Zealand, Mount Ngauruhoe is tr...

The walk starts with red tussock grass. After a short distance, you will walk into alpine shrub. The track up to the falls is a very gradual incline. To get to the lower falls, a long staircase through a forest of toatoa trees provides a quick descent down the cliffs on the east side of the falls...

The Tama Lakes trail can be walked easily as a day hike but we chose to overnight to escape the crowds (very popular hike) and fully enjoy the landscape, as well as the beautiful stars, sunrise and sunset. We walked the track in early winter (June) which I think is the prettiest time to explore t...

The trail for this hike starts next to the bathrooms that are about 150m down the road (south) from the Whakapapa Visitor Center. If you're standing in the road looking at the bathrooms, the trail head is to the right. You will be going uphill the entire time without much flat trail, but it's not...

Most people visiting Togariro National park do the 1 day Alpine Crossing. I opted to do the full circuit, a 27 mile hike that takes you all the way around the prominent summit of Mt. Ngaroe.I traveled the trail clockwise, leaving from Whakapapa Village and heading to Waihohonu Hut on the first da...

Located amidst New Zealand's vibrant volcanic zone, this favourite local gem lies approximately 29.5km (25 minutes) South of Rotorua, only a short distance before the renowned Waiotapu Geothermal Wonderland. Driving South towards Lake Taupo Kerosene Creek is situated 2km down gravel forestry trac...

If you are on a time crunch and can't do the whole Rainbow Mountain Summit Track, then take 30 minutes (including return) to check out these incredibly beautiful geothermal craters! The carpark will be located literally right off of State Highway 5. Look to the left if you're going south, look ri...

Heading to Taupo or Rotorua? Well be sure to make some time for this incredible tramp right off of SH 5 on your way there! Rainbow Mountain is a well maintained track over geothermal activities with amazing views. Give yourself 2.5 to 3 hours time and you'll be rewarded when you reach the summit....