Day 26 (part 1): Huka Falls and Lake Taupo
We are going even farther off the beaten track today, driving to a family owned, fully functional working sheep and cow farm. On our way we stop by Huka Falls, a thundering 11-metre high waterfall which is the most visited and photographed natural attraction in New Zealand. The sheer volume of water flowing over the falls amounts to 220,000 litres per second - enough to fill one Olympic sized swimming pool in 11 seconds!
After the falls we stopped for a bit at the town of Taupo, on the waters edge of Lake Taupo, the largest lake in NZ. So large you could fit Singapore in it. My accidental and quite fortuitous discovery in this town was the street art. I was wandering through a back alley (don’t ask me why, I have no idea) and happened upon some very cool street murals. The exploration for more was on!
As we continued driving to the farm I got my first glimpse of Mt Ngauruhoe, the mountain they used in Lord of the Rings as Mt. Doom. The drive itself was through magnificent and unpopulated mountains, and the last 7km wasn’t even paved. No cell phone service, no WiFi, just a beautiful farm and lodge and wine by the campfire.
