Wellington to Rotorua

We had good views of Mt. Ruapehu on our way north. It's in Tongariro National Park and offers skiing in the winter and sightseeing via gondola in the summer. 

Mt Ngauruhoe is also in Tongariro National Park.  This volcanic cone is the youngest vent in the Tongariro stratovolcano complex and first erupted about 2,500 years ago. Although often regarded as a separate mountain, geologically, it is a secondary cone of Mount Tongariro.

Just a bridge along the way. 

This cafe near Huka Falls had a helicopter on display and you could get into it. The cafe shared the building with a helicopter ride attraction. 

Time to check out Huka Falls. 

This path is shared with bicyclists, so we had to be careful

The Waikato River, New Zealand's longest river, flows north from Lake Taupō between banks 300 feet apart. Just before the Huka Falls it enters a shallow ravine of hard volcanic rock. The effect is nature's large-scale equivalent of a fire hose feeding into a very fine nozzle.

 

We walked back up the trail to the upper viewpoint.  The falls are 33' high.  

You can even go on a boat ride up to the base of the falls.  Reminds me of the Maid of the Mist boat at Niagra Falls. 

Our hotel in Rotorua was being remodeled so the hotel was giving out vouchers for free drinks.  We enjoyed the wine and hot chocolate.