Great spot to relax…read more Gardens are fairly well maintained, and the annual bedding display is a hell of a lot nicer than the the crap Auckland City is prepared to invest in. In fact, every town other than Auckland seems to have pride in their surroundings... Auckland Council could take a harsh lesson from every town south of the Bombays and north of the Habour Bridge. SHAME AUCKLAND SHAME!!!

A section for young children and one more challenging for older children. Can be very crowded,…read moreespecially on weekends, due to close by ice cream shop and chicken grill. Right at the water front and beach. Free WiFi from local Internet provider.

Worth the hike if you're staying near by. Great spot for views from all sides. You choose your path…read moreof rigorous, but worth the while regardless

We were on a tour of wineries with a guide and also had a chance for a quick peak from the top…read more To be honest I was glad someone else was driving as the road, while paved, it quite curvy and steep and in some spots not too wide causing us to pull over to the side to make room for cars on their way down. We got up there on a hot and sunny Thursday around 11 am and there were only a few people at the top. Thirty minutes is plenty long to take in the view and snap a few pictures. When conditions are right, hang gliders take off from the summit too and it is also the starting point for a mountain bike trail. Definitely worth a short visit if you are in the area.

Free outdoor and natural hot springs to enjoy. Go to the Spa Thermal Park to get access to the…read moreOtumuheke thermal stream that feeds into the Waikato river. From here, you can also do an easy hike to Huka Falls (50 mins one-way) or Aratiatia Rapids (2 hrs one-way). There's a car park at the intersection of Spa Road and County Avenue, but to get closer to the thermal stream, you can continue down County Ave to the end and park at the car park inside the park. From there, you'll do a short 10 minute walk down to the thermal stream. You'll see a bridge with the main pools near the river. This is where most people will be, but if you up a little further uphill, you'll hit a second bridge where it's more private. This area is fenced off though, so it's probably not encouraged to bathe in this part of the stream, although a lot of people still do. The water is pretty hot, so make sure to bring a towel, water to stay hydrated, and a change of clothes for afterwards. Note that there are toilets at the car park, but no changing facilities near the thermal stream itself. Even if you aren't interested in visiting the thermal stream, Spa Thermal Park is well worth a visit to see the stunning scenery of being high up a hill looking down on a large, curved river.

Tons of people, but don't let that discourage you! It's a must-visit free natural hot stream with a…read morebeautiful view/swim of the river. The park's been beautifully designed for enjoying the stream, which is a nice hot 38-39C right under the bridge, and pools down to cooler temperatures further down. It's a great place to relax in a natural setting and meet some people!

Steam holes, and one bubbling mud steam pool... Yes and a very nice nature stop…read more Visitor will encounter other similar locations, and we recommend a visit here

Get back in your car and go to Wai-O-Tapo Thermal Park near Rotorua instead. Seriously, this place…read morewas such a disappointment. There's a gravel path, sometimes a wooden path, and some steam vents. A "mud pool" that is as dry as a bone. There is absolutely no shade, and it takes about 45 minutes to walk around the short loop. I wish we'd turned back after 10 minutes cos it didn't get any better. Wai-O-Tapu has spectacular vents, mud pools, incredibly colored water. Just so much better than this. It's only $8 to get in this place, but in my opinion it's just not even worth that. Don't say I didn't warn you!

This is a must do for those who are strong hikers. The initial 3 miles or so is a gentle grade…read morethrough the volcanic planes, then it traverses upward and the views start. Some of the areas were muddy and a bit treacherous even with high quality hiking boots so do not try this in anything less. We saw several persons trying to do the walk in regular athletic shoes and they were often on their rear end trying to go down the slope of the red crater to see emerald lakes. The Emerald and blue lakes are spectacular. The final 6 miles or so are all downhill with a few very short gentle uphills and hiking poles are highly recommended to take weight off of your knees. The last couple of miles are through lush green forest and bush, which was a pleasant surprise and offered cooling shade.

MOUNT DOOM!!! I…read moretraveled halfway around the world to destroy the Sauron's Ring of Power...but I'm not much a hiker, and certainly I'm not going to survive the 8-9 hours of hiking it takes to do the full Tongariro Alpine Crossing. So I ended up keeping the Ring instead...but I did enjoy a solid 2.5 hours worth of hiking along the south end of the hike. Lovely landscapes, a nice little stream flows along the well maintained path, and the views of Mount Doom are spectacular, especially for Lord of the Rings fans such as myself. The New Zealand government does a fine job of keeping the trails and bridges in great condition. Beware of the bathrooms though, be sure to bring some toilet paper and wet wipes...its gross inside!!!

Looking for an alternative near taupo for rafting, i found this company. My original plan to raft…read morethe kaituna river got disrupted due to 'flood gates opening' to prevent flooding. What i liked: - easy to find (next to hw1) - good amount of rapids (grade 1-3) - friendly staff - good material - good safety instructions What i missed: - a shower at the end. There are only changing facilities Even though i missed the kaituna waterfall drop, this was real fun to do. Especially when it rains, rafting is a great activity to do. There are options for normal rafting, or family rafting. I took the normal rafting... Which includes more complex rapids and surely getting wet.

I highly recommend you go rafting with this group. The guides know the ins and outs of the river,…read moreknow where to go are very experienced in case you get in any trouble. They are very personable and make your trip worthwhile. It is not a very big operation, so you are assured of getting personal attention, and they go out of their way to ensure a fantastic experience. The ride itself is about 2 hours on a beautiful part of the river. These folks love what they do and it shows. Excellent value for the money. I had to cancel and rebook the trip and got my refund very quickly.