9 February 2018

Today we travelled south to Taupo, the center of North Island. Our first stop was at Aratiatia Rapids on the Waikato River. It’s a popular spot for tourists, especially when the dam opens and floods the river. They open the dam a few times each day and we were fortunate enough to be there during one of those times.

Further down the Waikato River is Huka Falls. The falls are not very tall but the extreme flow of blue water rushing through a narrow chasm is worth the visit. There are several lookout points all an easy walk from the car park. There are hiking paths along the river but we opted to spend our time at another tourist sight.

Craters of the Moon is a geothermal boardwalk, about an hours walk. It reminded us of the thermal features we saw in Yellowstone. There are numerous thermal parks in central North Island. We enjoyed Craters but I don’t think I’d recommend it over some of the other parks in the area.