Student Bloggers

This little trip was planned around doing the Tongariro Alpine Crossing, but of course, we
couldn’t drive for a few hours and not do some fun activities along the way.
We drove up on Thursday night and stayed at the Blue Lake Top 10 Holiday Park.
Conveniently, it was just a 25 minute drive from our activity planned for Friday morning:
white-water rafting.

Rotorua Rafting
I was super excited to go rafting until I got into their waiting room where they were playing
the most absurd rafting clips that had me fearing for my life. However, while rafting and the
rapids are still completely unpredictable, the guides really know what they’re doing. They
gear you up in wetsuits and helmets and send you on your way. They even give you the
option to skip the big rapid and hop on the raft a little later, if you wish.
I don’t know how to describe the guides other than super goofy. However, it made for a really
good time. They even give you opportunities to swim... or force you to... our guide pushed a
kid around our age off the raft... It was a lot of lighthearted fun.

Huka Falls
After rafting we went and checked out Huka Falls. Honestly, it was more beautiful than I was
expecting. I don’t know if it’s because we caught it on a really sunny day, but the water was
glimmering and magical.

Motutere Bay Top 10 Holiday Park
This holiday park was awesome. Mostly because we booked a lakefront campsite (for just $2
NZD more than a regular one). Best $2 spent. We sat and ate food and watched the sunset
over the lake. It was just stunning. And when the sun set, the stars were just as amazing. We
could still see them wonderfully when we woke up at 5:00 am the next morning for our next
adventure.

Tongariro Alpine Crossing
A few things to note about the crossing...

1. The Weather → Check the weather, it gets snowy at the top! Some places rent out
   crampons and ice axes because they are sometimes necessary. On that note, bring
   layers! It is super windy at the top and it can get quite cold at some parts of the hike.
2. The Shuttle → Since it is a one way hike and not a return hike, you have to book a
   shuttle. You can either book a one way shuttle (that picks you up at the end) or a
   return shuttle (that drops you off and picks you up). We had initially booked a one
   way, but the weather was looking iffy, so we changed it to a return (which meant that
   if we needed to stop the hike and turn around, we could get picked up from where we
   started).

We lucked out and got quite a nice day weather wise. There were parts with snow, but
nothing too crazy that required any additional gear. The Devil’s Staircase on the way up was
brutal, but once you get up there, it all feels worth it. And once you hit the top, it’s basically
all downhill from there! You see the most gorgeous mountains and lakes, and you feel like
you are on top of the world.

Overall, I felt so accomplished after the hike, I would definitely recommend giving it a shot.
And like us, make a weekend out of it! There are so many activities other than white-water
rafting in that area to try, so do some research and give it a go!