{"id":2319,"date":"2018-08-07T08:54:52","date_gmt":"2018-08-07T08:54:52","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/expedia.blog.au.local\/a-vast-volcanic-land-road-trip-new-zealands-north-island-this-winter\/"},"modified":"2022-08-08T23:26:53","modified_gmt":"2022-08-08T23:26:53","slug":"a-vast-volcanic-land-road-trip-new-zealands-north-island-this-winter","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.expedia.com.au\/stories\/a-vast-volcanic-land-road-trip-new-zealands-north-island-this-winter\/","title":{"rendered":"A vast, volcanic land: Road trip New Zealand\u2019s North Island this winter"},"content":{"rendered":"

This article was contributed by Serena Coady, an aerial photographer and writer based in Canberra. You can follow her here<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n

New Zealand, the hushed corner of the Southern Hemisphere, is a place of legend. A land where trekking Mt. Doom or hoisting a beer at the rugby are both considered perfectly decent ways to spend your time.<\/p>\n

With South Island<\/a> being home to ski-towns, towering glaciers and boundless fjords, North Island often plays second fiddle during the chillier months. But with a week or two, you\u2019ll discover that North Island embodies the most epic parts of the country: rugged scenery fused with an even fiercer culture. All only a short\u00a0trans-Tasman flight away from Australia.<\/p>\n

Being so vast, let\u2019s focus on one part of North Island. Get set to traverse through the geothermal hub of New Zealand: Rotorua.<\/p>\n

The Mystical Redwoods<\/h2>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Begin your quest to Middle Earth by exploring the Rotorua Redwoods<\/a>, otherwise known as Whakarewarewa Forest. Within these hundred-year-old trees, you\u2019ll be free to stroll the trails, taking in the storybook surrounds.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Up for exploration is the Redwood Treewalk, an elevated boardwalk adventure in the canopy. To up the ante, there are also several exhilarating mountain biking trails to experience amidst the trees.<\/p>\n

Geothermal Wonders<\/h2>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Open your mind, but hold your nose! The strong smell of Rotorua\u2019s sulphuric landscape can be overwhelming at first. Wai-O-Tapu<\/a> Wonderland will show you just what I mean and more. If you think the name makes it sound like an absolute fun park, you\u2019re not far off.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Wai-O-Tapu stuns with its electric green pools, gurgling mud, rapidly erupting geysers, and the star of the show: the champagne pool. Best of all, it\u2019s all natural, and thousands of years in the making.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Nearby is Waimangu Volcanic Valley<\/a>, another steaming, crater-filled landscape which can be explored on foot and finished up with a cruise on the stunning Lake Rotomahana.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

A Muddy Experience<\/h2>\n

There are few times when covering yourself in mud is socially acceptable. Let\u2019s see, you could be a competitor in Tough Mudder, an actual pig in a sty, or a visitor at Hell\u2019s Gate.<\/p>\n

Hell\u2019s Gate is a historic place of healing, featuring geothermal muds and sulphuric spas (again, hold your breath), essentially the ideal way to end a day in the rugged landscape of Rotorua.<\/p>\n

A Day In Taupo<\/h2>\n

An unmissable day trip from Rotorua is the tranquil lake town of Taupo<\/a>.<\/p>\n

At the entrance of the town is Huka Falls, the Waikato River\u2019s powerful waterfall which surges through a phenomenal 220,000 litres of water per second, resplendent in its unique shade of blue.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

To really get among the rapids, try your paddle at white water rafting. Tongariro River Rafting offers a unique adventure on Grade 3 rapids, followed by a plunge in hot springs to wash the day off.<\/p>\n

Also worth a look in Taupo is the Orakei Korako Geothermal Park<\/a> and Cave, or the Hidden Valley, a set of silica terraces steeped into the banks of the Waikato River.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

The park thrills with surreal natural colours, 23 active geysers and an ever-evolving cyanobacteria ecosystem.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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