Chasing Waterfalls | New Zealand Road Trip

We spent two days chasing waterfalls near Lake Taupo and at Tongariro National Park. They varied in size and shape, but all were impressive.

We woke up on a Sunday morning at the gorgeous Lake Taupo. After five intense days in the van, we decided a slow morning was in order. I got up to find a family of swans outside the van, including gorgeous, fluffy babies, which I kept my distance from so as not to alarm the scary swan parents. Esme joined me and we made tea and coffee, got out our camp chairs, and sat watching the lake and drawing. It was quiet, beautiful, and not too chilly – the perfect pocket of calm to refresh us. 

Later that morning, we discussed the day over breakfast with Eve. One of the campsite staff overheard us and made us a recommendation. We decided to head there first: Aratiatia Rapids. The rapids are named after the Maori explorer Tia, who discovered Lake Taupo, and passed through the gorge on his way. Several times throughout each day, the floodgates of the dam are opened for a period of thirty minutes and the Waikato river reaches its natural flow. This feat is very impressive and tourists gather at every opportunity to watch it from various vantages. 

On our way to Aratiatia, we drove through Taupo and saw a market. Guided by Esme outside the van, I parked us up (a reverse park between two other vehicles which I was very proud of) and we headed to explore the market. Unfortunately, because we had had such a lovely lazy morning, the market was packing up, so we mainly enjoyed the view of the lake and snow capped mountains in the distance.

At Aratiatia, we parked up near the gates and ran to the bridge to look out. When the water was still, many of the rocks emerged dry above the surface, and we could see fish swimming below. When the gates were opened and the water began to surge, it turned from clear to frothing white. The force was huge. We didn't get many photos, preferring to protect our phones in our pockets. It was impressive to watch how fast the water rose and the currents took control. This was one of many Lord of the Rings filming locations we stumbled across on this trip.

Our next stop was Huka Falls. There is a walking track between there and where we'd parked, but it was four hours return and we didn’t have the time. So we drove to the next spot and then walked down from the road. Huka Falls is always flowing, turquoise water turning into thick plumes of white water vapour. We watched the jet boat dance around the falls, waving to the people on board. I remembered doing the jet boat ride myself, fifteen years ago when I visited with my parents! 

The following day we chased waterfalls on two walking tracks at Tongariro National Park. The first, Tawhai Falls, was just a short walk from where we parked the car and is nicknamed from its appearance in the Lord of the Rings franchise as Gollum’s Pool. It was an overcast and lightly rainy day, which added to the experience.

We explored the visitor centre next, which had a lot of information and exhibits to explore. Nearby we found a coffee van and treated ourselves to drinks and snacks to prepare for our upcoming walk. The lady there was so friendly and great to chat to. She asked us about our adventures so far and where we were headed next. She joked with us, too, and then wished us well as we embarked on the Taranaki Falls loop. We walked through colourful bush shrubs which were beautiful, but we were very exposed and when the rain came the wind made it feel sharp against our faces. We pushed on, playing games to encourage each other, and soon enough we found a sign that told us we were close to the falls. We descended under green trees and heard the rushing of water. The falls was magnificent. It came between huge rock walls into a pool. We made it to the rocks beneath and the vapour sprayed our faces – much gentler than the rain. 

We continued the loop, walking along the water and then eventually away from it again, and back to the van. After refuelling there, we got on the road. The drive that afternoon was going to be a decent one, as in a couple of days we had to catch the ferry from Wellington. We enjoyed the journey with good music and gazing at lambs in the fields we passed. We dried off in the warm, eventually.