4-4 The New Zealand Tour: North Island - Rotorua, Waimangu Volcanic Valley, Wai-o-tapu pools, Taupo lake, Tongariro National Park, and Wellington

After a cramped car sleep that had me waking up and rolling around five times in the middle of the night Thor and I woke up to the rain drenching down on the windows like tic tacs falling on a hardwood floor. We slowly moved are seats up and headed out into the rain in search for some hot springs, mud pools, color pools, volcanic valleys, and a bit of some tourist energy.
First we ended up at whakarewarewa village, more like what where are we, filled with indigenous Maori people who by the way look very similar to the Samoan heritage and wanted to charge us 48nz for a tour that they said would go to the village. We both said that's a little bit too much and decided to move on to the Waimangu Volcanic Valley just down the motorway 5 about 10km. We got there and the rain was barely dripping down as we snuck right past the front kiosk. The place was amazing and looked like forest fires in the distance at first but opened up to some amazing hot pools to even a very turquoise pool. We got out of there untouched and headed on are way to another thermal valley called Wai-o-tapu. When we got there it was spectacular and the weather was starting to kind of clear up but not just yet. We both took a bunch of photos and on the way out saw someone looking for the same tips we used on the way in and I shared a little secret.
We then go out of there and decided to continue heading down the five to the one which passes lake Taupo to the Tongariro National Park, the second labeled national park in the world after Yellowstone. I would say Lake Taupo isn't much and where some good scenery is is along on the way to the national park. So after a coffee and some photos along the way we ended up at the Iwikau Village just up Bruce road from Whakapapa. We were a little late on timing the chair lift up to the top but got some spectacular full landscape views of the place.
After a nice drive out of the place, for which kind of felt like we were in a Mordor land in Tongariro National Park, we headed back on the road to continue the journey south. The drive was really amazing between Tongariro and Wanganui along the motorway 4 that had winding roads filled with amazing looks of mountain ridges ever going in the distance. When we got to Wanganui the light was starting to fade and we headed down the three which turned into the one ending at Wellington. Took some photos of the city at night and then found a nice place to park along the water bank for some sleep with a view.

Some thoughts:

You'll find me staring into the distance of endless possibilities and endless mountain ranges that go on for kilometers. I think where am I? Who am I? What am I doing? And decide to let my imagination take me into who i am in the moment.
There is so much out there and how you decide to create it or explore it is up to you.

Bye for now