Quote: When I was in Rotorua, I was told to visit Craters of the Moon because it is apparently just as good as any paid thermal area in Rotorua, except it's totally free. My only problem here was getting to it--it's at least a few kilometers to get to Huka Falls, and then it's a good 2km walk after that to get to Craters--since I didn't feel I'd have enough time once I got there and before I had to turn around again. Luckily, I found a friend at my hostel, who drove me up to Craters, so I would only have to hike the very manageable return trip.

After spending at least an hour and a half or more at Craters of the Moon (in a separate review), I set off on my hike towards Huka Falls. The beginning of the hike was obviously not really meant to be one--I had to walk on the edge of the road, or the rubbly shoulder when there was one, for 1.7km. The scenery wasn't exactly interesting, mainly just a road and some wooded area.

Once I managed to get across Highway 1, which was no small feat, the hike got more interesting. There was actually a trail heading to Huka Falls, which made the hike much more enjoyable since I didn't have to worry about a car careening around the corner and mowing me down. It was completely surrounded by overhanging trees, but there were little gaps where you could look out and see the gleaming Waikato below.

It wasn't long before I got to Huka Falls (reviewed separately), and, after spending my time there, I carried on along the hike. This hike was a much more popular one, since it is advertised as one of the best ways to see Huka from Taupo. The walk was actually the last section of a 2-hour return walk that begins long before Huka Falls--I didn't get to do that walk because it would have been entirely too late by the time I returned.

This part of the walk was very enjoyable, not being too difficult at all, since there were only a few small uphill climbs. It ran along the Waikato all the way back to the turnoff to go into Taupo itself. It was advertised as being 30 minutes from Huka-Taupo, but it took me much longer because I took advantage of the many seats along the way to sit down and snap a few pictures. I also took a few turnoffs and even stuck my feet in the river at one point (although you can't go swimming--very illegal because of the falls, although once you reach the end of the walk along the river and still have the 15 minutes left to go into Taupo, you can always stop for a little bath in the hot springs!). I definitely thought this was a worthwhile hike--I enjoyed getting to see a little more of the country than I would have by car.
From journals Crazy, Crazy Taupo