Hot pools, hikes and hitchhiking, the triple H tri-factor pretty much sums up my last 2 days off the bike and they’ve been wonderful.
Taupo is a fairly small place but has loads of action/adventure stuff going on. Lakes, rivers, volcanoes and forests shape this area and it makes for a pretty scenic place.
While the weather wasn’t so kind on day one I managed to squeeze a lovely walk in, a dip in the thermals and a fair few beers, my first of the trip. The second day was the highlight though.
I woke up early to do the Tongariro Crossing, a 20km hike across a volcanic area that had been recommended to me by just about everyone I’ve spoken to. It was beautiful, and once I cleared the crowds (of which there were loads) I took my time walking around the crater lakes and taking in this stunningly rugged area.
It was a perfect way to spend a couple of days off the bike but I’m actually pretty eager to get back on. I’ve also been reading a fair few posts about the Timber Trail (which was the section I was skipping by going down to Taupo) and it seems like it’s a highlight so tomorrow I’m getting up early, and some dude from the hostel is driving me to the start of the trail and then I’m going to hammer it down.
Bish on a Bike 