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Mark Moxon's Travel Writing

New Zealand: Taupo

Orakei Korako
The thermal creations of Orakei Korako are other-worldy, to say the least

I'd briefly stopped at Taupo on the very first day of my road trip, but it was raining so hard that I simply hid in the car, wondering just what I'd got myself into. Luckily my second visit proved a much more interesting one, especially as it was the first real experience I'd had of hardcore tourism since I'd last been in the North Island; the South Island is relatively untouched by tourism, apart from the Queenstown area, but not so the North Island. The caravan park I was in was crammed full of backpackers and tourists, and it brought back the sinking feeling that I'd felt when I finally hit the busy Stuart Highway after six months exploring remote Western Australia. As I tried to fall asleep in my tent, the sound of Saturday night drinking and banging music made me realise just how far I am from the type of travelling that the Kiwi Experience brings to town.

The Diamond Geyser at Orakei Korako
The aptly named Diamond Geyser at Orakei Korako