New Zealand- Part 3: Lake Taupō, Volcanic Hikes & Glowworm Adventures

After Hobbiton, we drove south to Lake Taupō, where we stayed for 3 nights. We arrived just before sunset, and the lake felt vast and quiet under the cloudy skies.

🏔️ Tama Lakes Track: The Hike We Didn’t Expect to Love This Much

We had originally wanted to do the famous Tongariro Alpine Crossing, but since it was early June, the shuttles had stopped, and we didn’t want to hire a guide.

Instead, we found the Tama Lakes Track — 17 km of dramatic landscapes, with way fewer people and better trail conditions in winter. It took us about 5–6 hours, and while clouds blocked the view most of the way, they finally cleared as we returned.

Walking back to the car with volcanoes and moonlight glowing in the blue hour was unforgettable. We later found out that the volcano we admired was the inspiration for Mordor in Lord of the Rings. We had no idea while hiking.

🧠 Did You Know? Lake Taupō is actually a caldera — a massive depression formed by a catastrophic eruption. It’s one of the most explosive volcanic events in Earth's history.

⛵ Sail Barbary: Carvings & Sunshine

The next morning, we saw sun over the lake and decided to go sailing. Sail Barbary offers a 2.5-hour tour with a funny, super knowledgeable captain. He brought us to see the rock carvings at Mine Bay, created between 1978–1980. We learned, relaxed, took photos, and enjoyed being on the water — the joys of winter travel.

Bonus: we got a discount since it was low season!

🧟‍♂️ Waitomo: Black Abyss & Glowworms

We’d booked the Black Abyss tour in Waitomo 5 days in advance — a 5-hour cave adventure with abseiling/repelling, ziplining, tubing, glowworms, and waterfalls.

The night before, we got an email warning the trip might be canceled due to high water — but it went ahead. And we were glad! The high water meant more fun, even if it was cold (hello, Canadians — we’re fine with cold).

We abseiled down a narrow hole, ziplined in the dark, floated under thousands of glowworms, drank hot chocolate with some gluten free and dairy free cookies, slid down metal slides, crawled through tunnels, and climbed two waterfalls to get out.

We were exhausted, anxious, cold, thrilled. Would 100% recommend — it’s a once-in-a-lifetime kind of experience.

Final Thoughts

New Zealand gave us adrenaline, awe, and stillness — all in a week. From calderas to caves, glowworms to geysers, we were reminded that nature doesn’t have to be loud to leave you speechless. Sometimes, it glows quietly in the dark.

🧠 Did You Know? Glowworms aren’t actually worms — they’re larvae that use bioluminescence to attract prey. Kind of gross. But kind of magical.