As I wrap up my time in the North Island of New Zealand, there are still a few highlights I’d like to document.

The first is a natural hot stream called Kerosene Creek, just south of Taupo. It’s a popular swimming spot for tourists passing through.

This is different than the natural hot springs in Rotorua because it’s a moving stream. I think it’s the first time I’ve seen naturally hot, flowing water like this.

Jump in and join the party!

When in Rome…

We also stop at bubbling mud pools in the area.

Here’s a short video clip of the bubbling mud pools:

We drive onwards to Blue Duck Station, which I covered in my horseback riding and kayaking posts. The lodge itself is beautiful, as is the cabin we call home for the night.

We’re greeted with hot tea and coffee.

Our cabin is a series of bunk rooms plus a giant common area with a fireplace and kitchen.

There’s a shed in front full of available rain gear.

Later that evening we gather in the lodge for a group meal.

For $12 (or $16 if you want dessert… and you know I want dessert), our friends at Blue Duck Lodge have prepared a goat curry stew, rice, salad, and loads of veggies.

I should explain: goat hunting is an activity offered at the lodge. So while I was riding horses and kayaking, some of my fellow travelers were shooting a goat for our dinner stew. It’s not an activity I could ever partake in, but I did eat the stew and it was pretty good.

There’s chocolate pudding for dessert, which is more like a big, gooey brownie oozing chocolate. It’s heavenly.

The next morning we wake up to this view:

Once we’re all on the bus, it’s about a 45 minute bumpy ride on a gravel road back to civilization. And what a ride it is…

Since the road is one-way, occasionally we turn a corner and our driver will slam on the breaks to avoid colliding with an oncoming vehicle:

There are also farm animal escapees to keep things lively:

And a few overnight rock slides that need to be cleared away:

But it’s gorgeous.

Now we’re just outside Tongariro National Park, home to the world’s greatest one-day walk, the Tongariro Crossing.

Sadly our Tongariro experience has been called off due to bad weather. I have one more shot to do this walk at the end of my trip; cross your fingers that the weather improves.

Our awesome bus driver Nat takes us to a nearby waterfall for a short hike. This is Tawhai Falls, which was used as a filming location in one of the Lord of the Rings movies.

Due to their nocturnal nature, kiwi birds are extremely difficult to find. But if you hang out overnight near this sign you might spot a few of these shy creatures…

A few random shots from our drive…

A giant shoe:

May I introduce you to Gladys and Trevor:

And this was my $5 group meal at our hostel in Taupo — chili, rice, and chips. The wine was $3 extra and it came out of a bag. All in all not bad for a country where a “cheap” dinner is around $20, sans drink.

Tomorrow, we briefly stop in Wellington before our ferry crossing to the South Island.