Yesterday we did lots of driving from New Plymouth via the Surf Highway down to Wellington, where we visited the great Te Papa museum.

Today we did a 3 hour hike on the old Egmont Railway Track at the end of York Road. This railway track does not exist anymore, but you can walk through the forest where it once was, see the crusher site (where the rocks were crushed), the sand trap (where they cleaned the Wanganui river water to power the crusher turbines) and, after crossing a swinging bridge, finally see the foot station, where the trains got loaded with the rocks. The track is really enchanted! In the afternoon we got great views of Mt Egmont!

This little fellow would love some muffin crumbles for sure… Good morning from New Plymouth!

Today we drove the long way from Whakapapa to New Plymouth close to Mt Egmont, a very big typical volcano mountain, dormant 🙂
On the way we visited the North Island’s highest waterfall, the Mt Damper Falls (74m).

Today on my 40th birthday we did something very special: hiking the famous Tongariro Alpine Crossing which is a 20km hike from Mangatepopo up to the South Crater of Mt Tongariro next to Mt Ngauruhohe aka Mt Doom in LOTR. On to the extremly windy rim of the red crater, down to Emerald Lakes where all the hot steam and gas comes out of the walls. The central crater was frozen and we passed it to the blue lake. From then on we hiked downwards in the clouds, altitude was from 1900m to 800m! Aching feet, but spectacular!

On Sunday we drove from Gisborne to Napier and then over the mountains via the Gentle Annie which is a beautiful gravel road – where the bug volcanoes of the Tongariro National Park suddenly appear! We are staying two nights at the Bayview Chateau at the base of Mt Ruapehu!

Today we had a long drive to the East Cape which is as close to the date line as possible – 21km of narrow gravel road included. Then further on to Gisborne where Captain Cook landed. On the last picture you can see Young Nick’s land, named after Cook’s cabin boy for seeing the land first.

After the heli flight we had a relaxing afternoon at Ohope – before the next day’s long drive.

Today we drove to Whakatane to do one of the most exciting things I ever did in my life: a helicopter flight to White Island, an island about 50km across the sea. It is an active volcano with steam and gas vents, a lake full of acid, boiling pods, sulphur everywhere! Spectacular, an absolute must!

The Hidden Valley can only be reached by boat – there are springs, little geysers, mud pots, a hot pool within a cave.