After spending a lot of time on the road and venturing to a new city each day, I decided to slow down a tad and spend two nights in the Lake Taupo area. Taupo is a small and scenic resort town with a great mix of natural attractions, outdoor activities and town centre happenings.

I drove an hour from Rotorua to Taupo and checked into my hotel in the afternoon. I was pleased to learn that the hotel had a complimentary bike and was situated right along the Great Lake Walkway, so I took a ride around.

After a fantastic meal I began the ~35 minute walk back to my lodging, but not before stopping by the waterfront for a bit to try to capture some nightscape shots. I didn't expect much with these shots as I was right in the town so there was still a lot of light pollution.

When I got back to the apartment I made sure to take advantage of the in-unit laundry that evening after having previously washed my clothes in hotel sinks the last few days.

When I woke up I did a bit of googling and found a nearby cafe called Storehouse. I drove there to grab a bite and fuel up — it had been quite a while since my last good coffee.

Storehouse

14 Runanga St, Taupo

USD $16 Late breakfast

All-around great cafe. Tasty food, unique space and quality single origin coffees.

Yes, I like to caffeinate. I started with a cappuccino then opted to try one of their single origin drip coffees. Then I devoured the best breakfast burrito (scrambled eggs, bacon, guacamole, chipotle, sour cream and spicy mexican beans in a spinach wrap) I have ever come across in my life. I liked it so much I came back the next day to get it.

Then I began the 93km drive to Tongariro National Park. It took just shy of an hour and a half to get there, especially with the last leg of the drive being on a gravel road, but there was a nice scenic stop on the way.

Tongariro National Park

Okay, I'll admit it. I did not plan this hike well.

I had heard about and wanted to hike the outstandingly scenic 19.4km Tongariro Alpine Crossing inside the Tongariro National Park (a UNESCO World Heritage Site). However, I didn't organize a way to get back to my car if I was to complete the entire 8 hour trek. It also turned out that the drive to the park from Taupo was further than I had originally thought and I got a late start on the day... so yeah, I was not going to be hiking in the dark and left without a way to get a long ride back to my car.

Lesson learned: when traveling by the seat of your pants there are still a few things you should probably plan a bit more carefully. It reminds me of a saying I've heard around other travelers: "solo traveling is just endless problem solving."

That being said I did have all the required gear for a safe hike by myself — snacks, water, sunscreen, hiking boots with thick socks, sunglasses and a two-way satellite location beacon and messenger for emergencies.

Needless to say, I decided to only complete a shorter 2.5-3 hour roundtrip hike from Mangatepopo Valley to Soda Springs.