The Huka Falls, Waikato River, Near Taupo, New Zealand

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Wow! The Huka Falls using the technology of Google you can see that the Huka Falls are just as beautiful from above as they are from an on land viewpoint. In fact using your mouse scroll the ebove map out using your mouse wheel. It is quite surprising just how much altitude you can gain yet still clearly identify this amazing natural thundering waterfall.

But it is not surprising that this is the most visited natural attraction in New Zealand!

The Waikato river is one of New Zealand's longest rivers. It drains Lake Taupo which is the largest freshwater lake in all of Australasia.

Located only about 5 miles North of Taupo the falls can be easily found by simply following the aptly named Huka Falls Road. It's a photographer's dream!

Craters Of The Moon, Thermal Park Area, Taupo

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Any vacation in New Zealand will not be complete without experiencing the smell of rotten eggs, holes in the ground, steam creeping out of the earth, yellow lakes, boling mud, hot streams, pools and waterfalls, geysers, volcano craters and perhaps even the odd earthquake (There was a minor but feelable tremor during our arrival in Wellington, however we slept for so long due to jet-lag we snoozed right through it!)

Anyway back to Craters of the Moon. A small admission fee is payable for vehicles and for individuals who are on foot but it is well worth the charge.

New Zealand's geothermal areas show the raw power that lies beneath our planet and make you realise that man may claim to be powerful but the Earth is far stronger.

What is interesting about this area is that it apparently first materialized in the 1950s after a nearby power station lowered water levels. As somebody who has in interest in earthquakes I'd be interested to know if this subsequently increased earthquakes in the area. In areas of oil drilling earthquakes occur regularly due to mans' actions - I wonder if this is the same?

Well laid out tourist walkways and a loop road for vehicles ensure that there is little chance of an accident in such an active area.


I'm biased because I love these thermal areas but you really have to experience these regions as part of your New Zealand vacation.