Taupo District Travel Recommendations for 2024 (Updated in May)

What is Tongariro

Tongariro is actually the oldest national park in New Zealand, and it was only the 6th in the world to be established.It was created in 1887 and now holds dual world heritage status, recognizing both its significance in Maori culture and religion, as well as its diverse and dramatic volcanic landscape. The park covers 80,000 hectares of land, which is 796 square kilometers (307 square miles).However, you’ll find glaciers, ancient lava flows, rivers, cascading waterfalls, alpine lakes, and even ski fields here.This striking and widely varied landscape is why Tongariro National Park was chosen as a filming location for several of the Lord of the Rings movies. In fact, Mount Ngauruhoe was actually used for Mount Doom in the film (with some digital alterations, of course). Meanwhile, among other locations, Mount Ruapehu was the setting for Emyn Muil and two waterfalls were used for Gollum’s Pool. New Zealand is celebrated for its natural beauty, adventurous outdoor activities, and Maori culture – you’ll find all that (and much more!) when you visit Tongariro National Park.#awesomepic #couplestrip #mytripvlog #nationalpark #bucketlistreboot #2023travelwish #2023travelwish #newzealand #newzealandtravel #trekking

The Unforgettable Tongariro Alpine Crossing!

If you’re feeling adventurous and looking for the best thing to do on North Island, New Zealand, then the Mount Tongariro National Park is waiting for you! Within the National Park, there are several routes to take, but the most popular one is the Day Hike Tongariro Alpine Crossing! With an average of 8 hours to complete the hike, it’s definitely not a stroll in a park, especially for a person like me who has zero experience in hiking and Low/moderate fitness level. If you are someone like me, a suggestion is to reach early and take it slow, so you can hike at a comfortable pace and not ending it off too late! There are several vantage point such as Emerald Lake and Red Crater, but words can never describe how phenomenal the whole place look! If you’re a lord of the ring fan, you can even catch “Mount Doom” here as it was shot with one of the mountain here! A true amazing experience that everyone has to try at least once in their lifetime! Getting here: From my experience, it’s best to look in their official website for the most updated information as their carpark and bus schedules do change from time to time! #nationalpark #hiking #scenicspotguide #newzealand #travelinspiration

Moments at Tongariro National Park, NZ

Tongariro is New Zealand's oldest national park and a dual World Heritage area. This status recognises the park's important Māori cultural and spiritual associations as well as its outstanding volcanic features. Tongariro National Park is one of three World Heritage sites in New Zealand. The other two are Te Wahipounamu in the South Island, and the Sub Antarctic Islands. Te Wahipounamu is a massive area covering the south west of the South Island, and containing Fiordland, Westland, Aoraki/Mt Cook and Mt Aspiring National Parks. The mountains at the heart of the park have cultural and spiritual significance to Ngāti Tuwharetoa and symbolise the spiritual links between this community and their environment. Ngāti Hikairo ki Tongariro is the guardian hapū (sub-tribe) of Ngāti Tuwharetoa as the hau kāinga (true people of the homeland) for the Tongariro territory. Their continued existence in this environment ensures the cultural, spiritual and environmental values are protected and shared with all those that encounter this dynamic landscape. The park has active volcanoes, a diverse range of ecosystems and some remarkable landscapes - each deeply enriched with stories of the hau kāinga and the significance to their people. #travelinspiration #unforgettableexperiences #scenicspotguide #couplestrip #awesomepic #historicculture #beautifulsunsets #naturalwonders #hiking #nationalpark #lakes #travelinspiration#unforgettableexperiences#scenicspotguide#awesomepic#couplestrip#historicculture#beautifulsunsets#bestislandtraveltowns#naturalwonders#hiking#nationalpark#lakes

The highlight of my life!! NZ Tongariro crossing

The tongariro crossing was honestly incredible. You get the chance to hike up an active volcano, It was around a 10 hour hike. The hike is not easy but the views you have along the way are breathtaking and 100% worth it. Once you get to the top you realise what you have achieved and everything feels so surreal! #newzealand #newzealandtravel #Hiking #Volcano #Tongarirocrossing #Travel

Taupo in New Zealand is worth admiring

2-3 Brother Yong's family is traveling in the North Island of New Zealand Our North Island trip in New Zealand started from Rotorua, and today we drove to the famous Taupo. Along the way, we were attracted by the beautiful scenery of the Lava Glass Art Museum. Not only does the museum have live glass craft demonstrations, but it also has a garden made up of flowers made of glass, which is beautiful. Although a fee is required for the visit, the price of 70 New Zealand dollars is reasonable for the three of us. The next stop of the journey is the honey factory, where Manuka honey is the main product, and the process of bees collecting honey is also shown to us. Afterwards, we arrived at Huka Falls, where the waterfall was rushing, and water activities such as speedboats and waterfall sightseeing boats made us excited. The most exciting thing is that we have arranged a helicopter tour of Mount Tongariro for the next day at the helicopter booking center. Although the price of 998 New Zealand dollars per person is not cheap, we are looking forward to the one and a half hour flight experience. Mountain biking activities popular in Huka Falls and Taupo area are also in our plan. We can't wait to explore more beautiful scenery in this area.

See the Tongariro Mountain from the drone (the Doomsday volcano in the movie Lord of the Rings)

Tonga is in the easternmost part of the earth, and here is the place to bathe the first sunshine of the new year. In this beautiful country, there is a refreshing wind in the mountains, there are golden bushes on the beach, and there are dolls selling on the road... this is the gentle nuku alofa! So the original ecological beauty, rent a car that is not old-fashioned, free to gallop, all the way is a feast of a small fresh lifestyle. Our first stop is to worship a famous stone Tsunami Rock, which is said to be recorded, the largest stone left by the tsunami, there is no larger stone wreck on this planet. Now! It really is a piece of its huge stone, and there are many trees growing on it. If the hands and feet are flexible, you can even climb up directly like me! It is not a difficult thing for me to climb such a big stone. On that I thought I saw a more magnificent and more magnificent sea.

Whakapappa is the biggest skiing area in the North of New Zealand! Being here is slightly different then skiing in Austria which is why this trip was so exciting. I definitely recommend it.