Getting out of Auckland during rush hour can be a mission in itself. This meant an early start for our 3-day road trip. This time the destination was Rotorua and Lake Taupo.
The drive to Rotorua takes about 3 hours - plenty of time do drink coffee and screech along to 'Power' until we were awake.
I always thought that people were being a little dramatic about the smell of Rotorua but I can confirm it does actually stink. I honestly began to think I would be permanently traumatised and never able to eat an egg again. How people live there I will never understand. I supposed they must be so used to it that they don't actually smell it.
Our first stop was to Hells Gate, a geothermal park with 'boiling hot pools and erupting waters'. The first part of this trip was to take a walk around the park. It took about an hour to walk around, but there was lots of fascinating geothermal pools, mud volcanos, waterfalls and so much more to see - definitely worth doing.
The next part was the mud pools. The rain did not stop us - I had been looking forward to this the most. There we were, in our bikinis, sat in a pool of mud in the pouring rain. Life was great.
Of course, we acted like children and caked ourselves in mud to the point where people nearby were cracking up when they looked at us. I actually didn't notice any improvement to my skin but I had the best time. You get about 20 minutes in the mud, there are staff members there that tell you when to get out (too long can be bad for you). They provide towels (for a $10 rental fee), and boxes to put your stuff in. You can't wear any jewellery whilst in the spa, and they advise that you wash your swimwear straight away because the smell can pretty much ruin them. Once you have washed off all the mud, you can relax in the sulphur spa for as long as you like to help soften your skin. The visit to Hell's Gate cost $90 each. Hells Gate was recommended to us by a friend, however there are many similar places in the area to choose from that may vary in price.
After lunch (Burgerfuel, because why not?) we started the drive to Lake Taupo. On route, we stopped at Huka Falls. The most beautiful coloured waterfalls I have ever seen, and a must see when in the area. The blue colour of the water was incredible. There are various walks and lookout points at Huka Falls. We were feeling a bit gross following our mud bath, so didn't venture too far. The rain has also made the footpaths a bit muddy, and although I was a mud pro now, my white converse were not prepared for this abuse, so after a few pics and a while staring at the pretty water, we continued our journey to Taupo.
We had booked an Air BnB for our stay. We were staying in a converted garage which was perfect and only cost $150 for 2 nights (pretty cheap for accom in NZ). After our early start, we were pretty tired, so we decided to have an evening in. We headed to the nearest Pak n Save and stocked up on junk food. Stopped at Dominoes on the way back, and we were sorted.
On Day 2, we got up nice and early and headed straight back to Rotorua. Due to the miserable weather the day before, we hadn't really done much. First stop was obviously breakfast because hangry Megan was not invited. We went to CBK Craft Bar, which did an excellent Eggs Benedict (my go-to brekkie) and the staff were really friendly too!
We spent the late morning exploring The Redwoods Treewalk. Tickets are $25, and you take a walk through the forest up on suspension bridges. Along the way you can learn all about the Redwoods - there's even a little treehouse near the end. It's a very simple concept, but it works and we had a great time. There is also an option to go in the evening when all the trees are lit up - which I bet is also very pretty!
As we got to the end of the tree walk, the rain made a reappearance. In between showers, we went to see the lakes. Rotorua is famous for its lakes, and the blue and green lakes are just 2 of 17 in the area! Lake Tikitapu and Lake Rotokakahi are right next to each other but are supposedly different colours. Personally, I couldn't really see it - but I think it was due to the poor weather conditions. Nevertheless, they are still stunning lakes and definitely worth a visit. There are viewing platforms between the lakes so you can view both at the same time. There are also plenty of walking trails in the area.
Next on our to-do list, was Kerosene Creek. Approx 30 minutes away from Rotorua, Kerosene Creek is a little hidden (but surprisingly popular for its location) hot pool, with a mini waterfall. It is a geothermally heated stream, that visitors can bathe in. The water isn't very deep, and the water is a great temperature to relax in - even following hours of torrential rain! There is a small car park when you arrive - and the hot pool is a 5-minute walk into the bush. As one of my favourite stops on our trip - I would absolutely recommend this if you are in the area.
In the evening we headed back to Taupo, where we had tickets for a cocktail cruise on the lake. This was an odd one, because although it was still really fun - there were no cocktails in sight - despite being advertised as this. There was, however, plenty of wine and pizza - what dreams are made of. The lake cruise took about two hours. The weather was still pretty rubbish, so visibility wasn't great and the views weren't as good as they could have been. One of the key points of this trips was to see the Maori carvings in Mine Bay. I was under the impression these were carvings from 100s of year ago, but in fact they were completed in 1980. They took 4 years to complete and are now a major attraction in New Zealand.
On our final day, we got up super early to get a McDonald's breakfast - which isn't as boring as it sounds. Lake Taupo is home to 'The World's Coolest McDonalds' - and it literally has an aeroplane next to it that you can sit in whilst eating. As we got there super early, there was no one else there so we had our own private jet experience. My Sausage and Egg McMuffin eating had never been so exciting!
After a quick photo shoot on the Taupo sign, it was time to say goodbye to the town, and head back to Auckland. Not without a quick stop at the Waitomo Glow Worm caves of course....
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