2024 New Zealand: Days 5-6 Thermal Explorer Highway and Wellington

We headed south along the Thermal Explorer Highway, the nickname for the parts of Rts 1 and 5 that connect geothermic hotspots areas between Rotorua and Taupō. 

We stopped just north of Taupō for a short hike to Huka Falls. The furious cascades are created when the calm, 325 ft wide Waikato River (which drains from Lake Taupō, but more on that later) is forced through a narrow chute of hard volcanic rock only 50 ft wide and 33 ft deep. The ice blue water churns and roars through the chasm, ending with a furious 36 ft waterfall. Huka is the Maori word for “foam”; the name couldn’t be more appropriate. There’s a pedestrian bridge over the middle of the chasm, and several viewpoints 

Looking upstream

And down, where a jet boat has brought thrill seekers below the falls.



About 200,000 liters (over 47,000 gallons) of water burst over the falls every second, enough to fill 5 Olympic swimming pools per minute. Below the falls is a maelstrom, which calms down within a few hundred meters to resume its placid flow north. 

Along the trail - does anyone know what this is?

Lake Taupō, the river’s source, fills an ancient crater the size of Singapore. It is the largest freshwater lake in New Zealand or Australia. The caldera, at least 27,000 years old, last erupted in 186 AD with a blast powerful enough to color the skies in China and Rome. 

After we wrapped around the lake, we continued south towards Wellington at the southern tip of the North Island. One anticipated landmark was seeing Mount Ngauruhoe, which served as Mount Doom in Peter Jackson’s Lord of the Rings trilogy. We saw the base of the mountain, but the top 2/3 was cloud covered. We covered 500 km along mostly 2 lane roads, winding through hills and along mountains. It was a beautiful drive. All told, we drove 800 km in the North Island. 

We decided to return our rental car in Wellington today instead of two days from now. We figured we could walk or Uber anywhere we wanted to go in town, and also didn’t want to deal with trying to park near the hotel. Finding the kiosk to return the car was quite the adventure; we’re so glad to have that out of the way instead of trying to deal with it when we have a ferry to catch early Thursday. 

Day 5 - in which we wander around Wellington for a day. Wellington is known as the world’s windiest city, with gale force winds of 63 km/hr gusting an average of 178 days/year. Just like the stormy Drake Passage, Wellington’s weather is a result of its geography. Recall how the fury of Huka Falls results from funneling a wide river through a narrow channel. Wellington sits on the Cook Strait at the southern tip of the North Island. It’s buffeted by the predominantly western flow of winds passing through the Strait, funneling between the mountain ranges on the north and south islands.. 

Wellington has a fine harbor and a long waterfront hosting warehouses, museums, walking paths and mooring for boats large and small. This morning we had early access tickets to the Gallipoli exhibit at the National Museum of New Zealand, Te Papa. Before the centennial of the beginning of World War I, museums evaluated whether and how to commemorate the event. This exhibit is New Zealand’s result. Its centerpiece is a series of 2.4 scale renditions of real-life people whose stories are well-documented in accompanying displays. The models were created by the award-winning Weta Workshop, the special effects company which rocketed to worldwide attention with the Lord of the Rings movies. Our lively guide, Roger explained the incredibly detailed process used to create everything from the number of stitches on a canteen cover to eyelashes to drops of sweat under the edge of a cap. 

A medic with a failed rescue.


Staff Nurse Lettie Le Gallais, who joined up hoping to find her brother, Leddie, during her hospital-ship travels. Here, she reads the letter notifying her of his death months earlier. 

Te Papa (rough translation: the treasure box) is a huge 6 story museum with everything from dinosaurs, Maori artifacts, halls on the immigration experience, and natural history. We visited the Maori section and some vignette films on what their space means to different Kiwis. 

We did some caching along the waterfront. 

Sixteen very good boys (and girls).

Late brunch at Floraditas on Cuba Street. Greg had Flo’s fish pie, a staple since the restaurant opened 20 years ago, and I had smoked fish hash, a tasty concoction of potatoes and a couple kinds of smoked fish under a lemon-mayo drizzle. 

We Ubered to the Weta Workshop in Wellington’s Miramar neighborhood for a 90 minute tour. There be trolls lurking outside.

The tour visited several stations  - masks and prosthetics, sword-making, overview, 3-D printing and sculpting, etc. There were lots of film props and costumes, fun to see and recognize. Most things we couldn’t photograph or touch; the historic costumes and props are valuable and fragile. Current projects can’t be discussed by Weta staff for obvious reasons, although Roger at the Gallipoli exhibit said that James Cameron is currently working on the next Avatar film at Weta. Our final stop at WW, however, let Greg show his inner Gandalf. Too bad he shaved off his beard before we left home. 

2024 New Zealand: Days 3-4 Rotorua

We picked up our rental car this morning and headed southeast to the cultural and geothermal area of Rotorua. Along with Yellowstone and Iceland, this part of the North Island is one of the most active volcanic areas on our planet. I was excited to see how it compares.

240 km (144 miles) 3.5 very rainy hours.

I guess a transit day is a good day for rain, but it really came down. The roads are good; Drivers are considerate. The rental car didn’t come with the GPS as requested, but we easily made do with Google maps. The drive was largely pastoral, with some cool geologic features that must have been old small volcanic cones. An occasional fumarole steamed from a hillside. 

As we neared Rotorua, we could smell sulfur. Our hotel room overlooked a literal hotbed of activity.

This thermal area is part of Te Puia, a Maori cultural site we visited late in the afternoon. In addition to the geothermal highlights, they operate a kiwi breeding center, offer a traditional steam-vent cooked buffet, and have traditional Maori cultural performances in a marae, or tribal gathering place. 

The endangered kiwi are housed in sound-proofed, light controlled enclosures. The light cycle is reversed so that the nocturnal, poor-sighted (but excellent hearing) birds are active during visiting hours instead of nesting in their burrows. We saw one of the pear-shaped little guys digging around in the dusky light - but alas, no photos allowed. They live around 25 years in the wild, and can more than double that in captivity. They are about 18 inches tall, and weigh up to 7.5 lb. Their eggs are huge for their size, 15-25% of the weight of the female. (An ostrich egg, by comparison, is only 2% of the adult female.) Unlike most birds, they don’t have hollow bones and can’t fly. The survival rate for chicks hatched and released from Te Puia is several fold of that in the wild. 

This mud pot, the largest in Te Puia, was pretty slurpy due to all of the rain today. It gets thick when conditions are dry. The mud is 70-85 degrees C (158-185 F) and 6-10 meters (20-32 ft) deep. 

There are a group of 6 geysers connected to a common fissure on the Te Whakarewarewa geyser terrace. One, Prince of Wales Feathers geyser, is called an indicator geyser because its eruption is strongly correlated with the much taller Pohutu geyser it abuts. Pohutu, up to 100 ft tall, is the largest active geyser in the southern hemisphere. After a prolonged and slowly intensifying Prince of Wales eruption, Pohutu joins in and the two geysers run in tandem for up to 30 minutes. 

Prince of Wales starting to get worked up. 

Prince of Wales still chugging away to the left, under the shadow of the Pohutu geyser. 

Te Paia is the home of the New Zealand Maori Art and Crafts Institue. Founded in the 1920s, the three year program promotes preservation of traditional culture. Students are trained in carving and weaving from masters who trained at the school themselves. 



We enjoyed our first half day in Rotorua, even though half of the Te Puia activities were more performance driven than we prefer. 

But our second day - awesome! We drove 1/2 hour to the world’s youngest geothermal valley. The area was originally known for its Pink and White Terraces, which were New Zealand’s most famous tourist attraction in the middle 1800s. Formed by geothermal springs like Yellowstone’s Mammoth Hot Springs, they were believed to be the world’s largest silica sinter deposits. 

Painting of the Pink Springs.

Everything blew apart on Jun 10, 1886 when a line of craters were formed by violent eruptions and the Pink and White Springs were broken and buried under ash and water. Locals woke to lightning, earthquakes, molten rock fountains and 6-mile high columns of smoke and ash. All plant, bird, and animal life in the areas visible in these photos was destroyed. Three Maori villages were buried, and 120 people died. 

Today this area is known as the Waimangu Volcanic Valley, a still active area full of fumeroles, hot springs, geysers, prismatic pools, etc. We took the self-guided trail from the visitors center to Lake Rotomahana (which exploded to 20 times its original size following the 1886 event), and then a boat ride across the lake to visit geothermal features along its shore. The valley is lightly visited, and full of one-of-a-kind features. We really enjoyed ourselves here. 

Frying Pan Lake, the world’s largest hot spring. The mist was mesmerizing, swirling slowly in changing patterns across the water. 

Hot Water Creek is the spillover from Frying Pan Lake, with a temp of 50 C (122 F), perfect for colorful algae.


Inferno Crater Lake is a one-of-a-kind cryptic geyser and the largest geyser-like feature in the world. The actual geyser is underwater at the bottom of the lake. The blue pool follows a complicated cycle of filling, overflow and dropping over several weeks, with the level varying up to 39 feet. The lake is highly acidic. A suspension of fine silica particles gives the lake its aqua color. 

From 1900-1904, the largest geyser ever recorded was active along our trail. The Black Water geyser erupted every 5 or 6 hours, throwing water, mud and rocks up to an astonishing 450 m into the air. For scale, the Empire State Building, including the spire and antenna, is 443 m. Historic photos show a wide, messy black spew that looks more like an explosion than a geyser. 

Bird’s Nest Terrace, tiny and delicate. Variations in water temperature support different color algae. 



The last km of the trail bordered wetlands, leading to Lake Rotomahana where we took a short boat ride.

 
Family of black swans, unperturbed by our quiet presence. The cygnet and mom were scooping up algae.

This little geyser at the edge of the lake erupts like clockwork every 10 minutes. I asked its name, and was told it had only appeared a few months ago and was unnamed.

These fumeroles and springs bubbled along on the lake’s edge. 

A shuttle bus carried us back to the visitors’ center, where we picked up the car to return to Rotorua. After a late lunch at The Pig Whistle in town (slow cooked NZ lamb on a quinoa Mediterranean salad), Greg picked up a cache and we headed onwards.

The Redwoods is a 15 acre grove of California redwoods that was planted in 1901. They seem to thrive here, as today they’re about 200 ft tall. The redwood sequoias in California grow to 350 ft. tall, but have decidedly thicker trunks. We walked a two-mile trail (there are several options) through the trees. At least two providers offer elevated suspension bridge trails through the trees, but we decided to stay at ground level. 

The silver fern is a tree fern found only in New Zealand. It’s a symbol of the country, and can be seen on everything from tea towels to t-shirts to tumblers. They can grow to 33 feet or higher, looking like an elegant shade umbrella. The undersides are usually white or silver, and were useful in navigating pathways at night because they reflect moonlight. 

We were walked-out after this, so headed back to the hotel to hang out the rest of the evening. 

2024 - New Zealand: Days 1-2 Auckland

This is our trip longest in the making, and longest point-to-point: decades of frequent flyer miles hoarded for upgraded seats (which didn’t go as far as they would have 20 years ago but were still VERY nice to have, two COVID-cancelled trips that combined Gate 1 guided tours and a cruise around Tasmania, and delays compounded by life responsibilities. 

We left home Wednesday at 2 pm Philadelphia time. One muscle pulled (Greg). One equator crossing. One international dateline. One good book (The Fraud by Zadie Smith) devoured in full. Twenty seven hours later, we were at our Auckland hotel.

NZ is efficient with visas and customs; there are apps on which you complete applications and immigration forms before you leave home. When you arrive, it’s a matter of scanning your passport, answering a couple of yes/no electronic questions, and the doors part to let you in. Greg did it right. I accidentally claimed I’d been convicted of a felony and had to follow the walk of shame tape-on-the-floor to talk to a real person. I was rewarded with a stamp in my passport. Poor Greg did not get one.

Although our previous NZ attempts involved escorted tours, by the time we started seriously planning this one, we’d decided to do our own road trip. With the help of a company that arranged most of the logistics per our requests (hotels with breakfasts, a few things we definitely wanted to see, etc), we’re exploring for 3+ weeks on our own. We’ll be winding our way from the North Island to the South, and doing a clockwise circuit of the South Island. Then we’ll head to the Great Barrier Reef in Cairns, Australia, for several days before heading home.

Polynesian navigators arrived in New Zealand between 1200-1300 AD. The Maori people name for NZ is Aotearoa, the land of the long white cloud. It’s used interchangably here with the European name, New Zealand. Interpretive signs usually are in both Maori and English, reflecting a committed effort to keep alive  the language and culture of the original inhabitants.

The first Europeans to see NZ arrived with Dutch  captain Abel Tasman (think, Tasmania). It didn’t go well. Captain James Cook arrived 125 years later for the first of his 3 visits. 

Auckland was founded in 1840, and served as the New Zealand’s capital until it was moved to Wellington in 1865. It’s NZ’s largest city, with sprawling suburbs and an ideal harbor. It has over 1.6 million people, and is culturally diverse, including the largest Polynesian population on earth. NZ total population: over 5 million.

Too early for hotel check-in. Left our luggage and used Map my GPS app for a highlights walking tour, combined with geocaching opportunities. 76 degrees and a lovely day to be out exploring.

Sky Tower - 360 m (1,170 ft) tall. Second tallest building in southern hemisphere.

Great views

Thrill seekers jump from the top for a slightly “controlled” 11 second BASE jump. Greg said he’d prefer to bungee jump at the Queensland bridge. 

Impressively huge hull of KZ-1, New Zealand’s America’s Cup race contender. (NZ is current holder of the AC). Greg is in front of the keel.

Spent some time looking around Maritime Museum environs for the 19th century steamship SS Puke (I mean, with a name like that, how could we not?) and were disappointed to not find it among the super yachts and many impressive sailboats.

Maritime Museum


Old Ferry Building - source of sour cherry rich chocolate gelato break.

Albert Park - my favorite thing today with its old twisting trees, Victorian gardens and a cache.

Day 2 - breakfast in hotel. Spent most of the day in the Auckland Domain, the city’s first park. Built on one of Auckland’s oldest volcanoes, the Domain sprawls over 185 acres of trails, old forest, manicured lawns, a horticultural complex and the Auckland Museum. 

The Wintergarten features 2 century-old greenhouses (one each for temperate and tropical plants), and a fernery, lushly set below ground level in an old quarry. 





I took off for the Auckland Museum, and Greg geocached around the Domain. The Auckland Museum houses the world’s largest collection of Maori and Pacific Island artifacts, as well as an entire floor dedicated as a war museum. There was also an exhibit of 100 prize winning photographs from the Wildlife Photographer of the Year, the world’s most prestigious nature photography competition. I spent so much time in the museum that Greg finally came in and visited the photography exhibit while I went to the war memorial collection on the 3nd level. (I never did see the second level.)

Auckland Museum, with Doric columns modeled after the Parthenon. A cenotaph (empty tomb) memorial is to the left. 

c. 1836 eighty-one ft Maori war canoe carved from a single log. Could carry 100 warriors. 

Intricately carved stern of the war canoe


Maori structure

Dinner was at Elliott Stables, a 120 year-old former warehouse converted to an epicurean village (i.e. upscale food court). It was lively and nicely appointed, with a common dining area, exposed beams and cobblestone floors. Options included Cajun, Vietnamese, Italian, Korean chicken, sushi, burgers, etc. We both went with the Korean chicken place. 

The horse hanging in the background is garish, 3D and amazing - hundreds of little crystals hanging from strings. 

We’d originally planned for a single day in Auckland, but added a day in case there were flight issues in coming from Philadelphia in the winter. The extra day was nice to have.

Homage to Emma. All hail.