We meet at 7am at the Sky Tower in downtown Auckland before heading south to Rotorua, with a café stop on route to fortify those who missed breakfast. Rotorua is renowned for its steaming thermal vents, bubbling mud-pools and stunning lakes. The area is also rich in Māori and early European history, including the violent 1886 Mt Tarawera eruption that buried a Māori village.
We continue to Lake Tarawera, where we catch the noon water taxi to access the trail's midsection. Here, we start a hike alongside the clear waters of Lake Tarawera, enjoying the shade that towering tree ferns and ignimbrite cliffs offer. Along the way, you can take a dip in the lake at one of the small pumice beaches. The trail offers glimpses of the expansive wilderness of forests, lakes, and volcanoes in the distance.
We spend the night at our accommodation in our authentic open-plan log cabin full of charm and character, where we come together to prepare a meal. It’s an opportunity to get to know your fellow travellers and chat. Tonight, or in the morning, we’ll also organise our gear and pack our backpacks for the upcoming hike into the rainforest, ready for the next leg of our journey. Includes lunch and dinner.
Rotorua Thermal Holiday Park is a campground with great facilities, including three hot pools, a swimming pool, all on-site and available for guests to use free of charge. Showers and toilets are in close proximity to the log cabins for peace of mind. We sometimes camp and sometimes use cabins.
A leisurely start after packing all our kit and driving east, into the rugged forest ranges of Te Urewera. This is the traditional home of the Tūhoe (Māori tribe) and one of the last places to have been reached by European settlers.
After about 2 hours of driving (picnic lunch on the way) minimum, we reach the Whirinaki Forest trail. This is a preserved remnant of the vast forests believed to have covered the supercontinent of Gondwanaland more than 150 million years ago. Our first hike is an easy one, on a descending track through native beech forest, to a simple forest hut beside the stunning Whirinaki River. We cook up our meal together and either stay in the hut or camp nearby with an evening campfire and time to relax and enjoy the surroundings. Includes breakfast, lunch and dinner.
Whirinaki Hut is a 25-bunk Department of Conservation hut with living area and a spacious kitchen complete with cosy fire. The hut is superbly located, tucked into a clearing of beech trees alongside the Whirinaki River. Cool down with a refreshing swim in the river after an enjoyable day of hiking. Camping sites can be found in the large grassy area just in front of the hut.
This morning, our journey continues down the valley track. This wilderness is a hidden gem, far from the tourist crowds, so encounters with others are rare. Instead, we often have the privilege of spotting elusive blue ducks, robins, and hearing the distinctive call of the kaka, a large bush parrot.
As we descend further into the valley, our path leads us beneath towering tree ferns and through some of New Zealand's most magnificent podocarp rainforest trees. For those who seek a little extra adventure, there's an opportunity to explore a side track leading to an area of ancient rata forest.
A 20-minute drive takes us to a cabin on a nearby rural property. Here you can enjoy a warm shower and unwind by the fire pit, sipping on a beer or wine. Includes breakfast, lunch and dinner.
The accommodation at Whirinaki Adventures is a small set of cabins and units beside Tony and Hayley’s (who operate the shuttle service to the trailhead for us) rural home. A couple of showers, bathrooms and a fire pit to sit around. Simple and completely out in the countryside.
We start the day with a drive to the Volcanic Plateau and its myriad natural wonders. Explore an extraordinary thermal park, bathe in a natural hot river and view the impressive Huka Falls. Feel the spray here as the mighty Waikato River, New Zealand’s longest, plunges 11 metres into a stadium-like pool.
Later we arrive at Lake Taupo, the largest lake in New Zealand. Incredibly, this 600 square kilometre crater lake was formed in 186AD by the most powerful volcanic explosion in recorded history.
At Taupō, we grab our takeaway food and head to a lovely lake-side spot. Here we can relax on the unusual pumice beach and in summer enjoy an evening swim before continuing to our lodge accommodation near Whakapapa Village, Tongariro National Park. Includes breakfast and lunch.
Located in Whakapapa Village at the foot of Mount Ruapehu, Skotel Alpine Resort offers a friendly informal atmosphere. Stay in the comfy Backpacker rooms, twin and sometimes triple share. Sheets and towels are provided, and bathroom and kitchen facilities are communal.
Or The Park Hotel in the nearby National Park town, twin and sometimes triple person share, ensuite rooms. Sheets and towels are provided.
Tongariro National Park is the oldest National Park in New Zealand and the fourth oldest in the world. In 1993, the park became a UNESCO mixed cultural and natural World Heritage Site. Although many hikers walk the busy one-day Tongariro Alpine Crossing, few explore the more remote and drier east side of this volcanic range. Enjoy our secret side trips and short cuts but rest assured we will hike the famous Tongariro Alpine Crossing, considered one of the world’s finest day walks, but at a less busy time of the day whenever possible.
We sort out gear and pack our backpacks ready for our two nights away. In the late morning, hike out of Whakapapa through tussock-grasslands and over the low saddle that cuts between the volcanoes Ruapehu and Ngāuruhoe. Late afternoon we arrive at the simple but modern Waihohonu Hut among patches of mountain beech forest beside a quiet stream. There are great mountain-views from the spacious common room. Includes breakfast, lunch and dinner.
Waihohonu Hut is a modern 28-bunk Department of Conservation hut located on the Tongariro Northern Circuit Great Walk. Facilities are basic but comfortable, with bunk beds, mattresses, wood stove, common room, and toilets.
The trail to the next hut takes just 3 hours, so we have the morning to explore. Either amble (about an hour) to the splendid Ohineopango Springs and visit a historic hut and then return to the hut for lunch, or we can negotiate an adventurous off-trail route over ash-moraine ridges and skirt lava cliffs to reach a viewpoint high above a remote lake. After lunch continue on, traversing stony desert to an alpine hut at 1400m situated on the edge of an old lava flow.
We stop to enjoy fantastic views of the park’s three main peaks: Ruapehu, Tongariro and Ngāuruhoe. The latter starred as Mount Doom in Peter Jackson’s Lord of the Rings films. It’s an extraordinary landscape of active volcanoes and lava valleys.
Evening provides an opportunity to share the hut with hikers from all over the world. Oturere ‘sardine tin’ Hut is small, quite busy, but still our favourite spot. We usually sleep in the hut, but sometimes we camp. Includes breakfast, lunch and dinner.
Oturere Hut is a 26-bunk Department of Conservation hut located in Tongariro National Park. Facilities are basic but comfortable, with bunk beds, mattresses, wood stove, common room, and toilets.
We hike through a moon-like valley of lava flows and ash fields before climbing steeply to the remarkable Emerald Lakes, which have graced the covers of many guidebooks. From here we join the spectacular Tongariro Alpine Crossing. The next few hours of hiking takes us through an unforgettable wonderland of lava valleys, steaming craters and brooding volcanoes before our descent through bonsai-like alpine foliage and alongside mineral-infused streams. In good conditions, we have the option of climbing high on the volcanic peaks.
An evening drive takes us back to our lodge in the heart of the National Park – the perfect place to relax with a beer and enjoy million-dollar volcanic views before dining in the alpine village. Includes breakfast and lunch.
Located in Whakapapa Village at the foot of Mount Ruapehu, Skotel Alpine Resort offers a friendly informal atmosphere. Stay in the comfy Backpacker rooms, twin and sometimes triple share. Sheets and towels are provided, and bathroom and kitchen facilities are communal.
Or The Park Hotel in the nearby National Park town, twin and sometimes triple person share, ensuite rooms. Sheets and towels are provided.
Driving south, we leave the volcanoes to descend through the beautiful river valleys of the Rangitikei and along the coast to Wellington, where we arrive mid-afternoon after a café break. Wellington is so much more than just New Zealand’s capital. It is also the nation’s stylish hub for arts, culture, cafés and politics. Enclosed by hills and a harbour, this compact city has many attractions within easy walking distance.
Options include enjoying the National Museum of New Zealand (Te Papa) or watching the political shenanigans of the ‘Beehive’ (Parliament House). Many visitors immerse themselves in the vibrant café scene and the accessible downtown area. Includes breakfast.
