• SiewchFunemployment - Part IITraveler
    Taranaki Falls.
    Scenes from the Taranaki Falls Trail.A cloud covered Mt Ngauruhoe as seen from the Taranaki Falls Trail.Scenes from the Taranaki Falls Trail.Scenes from the Taranaki Falls Trail.Scenes from the Taranaki Falls Trail.The smaller waterfall along the Taranaki Falls Trail.Mt Tongariro as seen from the Taranaki Falls Trail.Scenes from the Taranaki Falls Trail.Scenes from the Taranaki Falls Trail.Scenes from the Taranaki Falls Trail.Me on the Taranaki Falls Trail.Taranaki Falls.Scenes from the Taranaki Falls Trail.The top of Taranaki Falls.Scenes from the Taranaki Falls Trail.Scenes from the Taranaki Falls Trail.Scenes from the Taranaki Falls Trail.Scenes from the Taranaki Falls Trail.My hike route as recorded on my MapMyRun app.

    Whakapapa & Taranaki Falls

    December 9, 2017 in New Zealand ⋅ 13 °C

    I slept in and when I woke up I was pleasantly surprised to realize that I hurt only a little. I walked to the cafe and had a wonderful breakfast of bacon and eggs. I hate the way bacon is prepared in America and so this was a real treat.

    After eating, I walked to the road that led to Whakapapa Village and I stuck my thumb out to ask for a ride. Just then, a girl in a pink jacket appeared ahead of me and she snagged a ride. Luckily, a van with a nice young couple stopped for me not long after. They dropped me off at the visitor center where I spent some time learning about the local landscape, and watching a video about a recent eruption. I then set off to hike the Taranaki Falls Trail. This was an easy, two hour, 6 km loop. I briefly considered going onwards to Tama Lakes which would have added another two hours but I nixed that idea as I wasn’t adequately provisioned.

    The hike was a nice, sedate one. After hiking through a forest for about 50 minutes, I came to a bridge with a waterfall under it, and I thought it was Taranaki Falls. I felt a little let down and I considered turning around and not completing the loop. Fortunately, I carried on, because the real waterfall came into view a few minutes later and it was a very pretty waterfall. After admiring the waterfall, I stayed on the loop as it ascended into scrubland. It started to rain at this point so I knew I made the right decision to forgo Tama Lakes.

    Back at Whakapapa Village, I started looking for a good place to hitch a ride back to National Park Village when I saw the same girl in the pink jacket snag a ride. I couldn’t believe my luck. I then bumped into Dave, a Scotsman who was staying at the same lodge as I was, and he said he was waiting for Mathias, a German guy with a rental car who was also staying there. I tagged along for the ride when Mathias arrived.

    https://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/New-Zealand/…    Read more