I've been road tripping in a rental car for several days now. The freedom and flexibility is nice. From Wellington, I drove north and walked the Tongariro Crossing, a one-day hike through volcanic mountains. There were pretty pools and geothermal activity to be seen. It was a good hike (although I'm not sure it would qualify as the best day hike in the world, as one van claimed it to be).
From there, I drove further north to Lake Taupo, and onto Rotorua. The whole region is known for its geothermal activity, so I saw lots of pools bubbling, and I even sat under a hot waterfall!
Now I'm on the west coast, at Raglan, a famous surfing town. I went to the beach last night, which was gorgeous, but today it is raining so I think I'll move on. Only one week left until I fly to Australia. I met a couple from Sydney at my campsite last night and they gave me lots of tips on what to see while I'm there. It should be a good ten days!
