Country Info
- Wellington
- Capital
- New Zealand Dollar (NZD)
- Currency
- 3,864,129
- Population
- NZ
- Country Code
National Park Village Slideshow
Travel Blogs from National Park Village, New Zealand
To the North Island - first stop Tongariro N.P
This is a top pick! ... plenty going off - a lot different to the cities in the south. So, earlier than originally planned we headed off to National Park village, access to the Tongariro National Park. Here we would be getting our first ever encounter with not one, not two ...
Snowboarding at Turoa, Mt Ruapheu
This is a top pick! ... slope and running back up it with one foot still attached to the board (excellent work out if anyone is looking for new exercise). We could see ourselves making progress which was encouraging and I did actually feel like i had some control over where ...
One Kiddie Cone, Please
This is a top pick! ... of the crazy New Zealand one lane roads. Or maybe it was because we were happy to be alive. Eventually we reached National Park. This was a very small town whose main purpose is to put up travelers interested in hiking the Tongariro Crossing. We ...
No Mt.Doom :(
This is a top pick! We woke up and drove most of the day towards Tongariro National park to see volcano's where 'Mount Doom’ from lord of the rings was filmed. Unfortunately it was so overcast that we couldn’t even see the volcano and our plan to get a plane ride ...
Tongariro Crossing
This is a top pick! ... in the distance. We had a lengthy rest at Ketahi hut halfway down where we ate lunch and sunbathed (and experienced New Zealand's smelliest latrine) then another stop at a thermally heated stream where we bathed our tired feet. Down through some scenic ...
Into The Very Fires Of Mordor
This is a top pick! ... We ate toast instead.) A bus drove us to the starting point of the Tongariro Crossing. Widely considered the best day hike in New Zealand, Tongariro Crossing is 19.4 kilometers long (12 miles) and takes you over an active geothermal area. It also provides ...
This is a top pick! 
Doomed
... it’s architecture or cities in general so we didn’t hang around and decided to stick to what New Zealand does best and headed to Tongariro National Park to get into some volcanic activity. We arrived in the dark and set up the tent ...
National Park – Entspannen statt Wandern
... auf der Südinsel hat mir wesentlich besser gefallen, als dieser Zug. Aber ich musste ja auch nur den halben Tag bis zum National Park mitfahren, dann durfte ich raus und hab Judi+Piet sitzen lassen. Die hatten ja wie gesagt einen kurzen Abstecher nach ...
A Walk In The Park
... another walk. Up to a waterfall, that I can’t remember what its name is. It started off well, just heading through National Park Village and then up and around a really winding path, before we got to a massive gate, where we headed off to the left ...
Wellington to National Park Village
Wednesday, February 14 Wellington to National Park Village We hate to tear ourselves away from the friendly folks and the lovely bay views of Moana Lodge, but we must be on our way north. Today is a drive through agricultural and grazing lands. We notice ...
Our Volcanic Hike
... . We stopped for a break on lake Taupo, the biggest lake in NZ (its the blue blob on the map of the north island). We arrived in National Park town just before it got dark and found our hostel. We had a room off to the side with 6 beds to choose from to ...
17KM of hell but beautiful sights
... had hiking boots that had been chilling in our bags for weeks so they needed to be used. The Tongariro Crossing is one of New Zealand's most popular walks. It goes up into the volcanoes, by the emerald lakes, through a thermal area, and finshes in the ...
Day 188
... any Sound of Music songs? It was like Frodo returning to The Shire. A mere six hours later we arrived at the car-park; Alpine crossing complete. Woo! Me feet are hurting a bit and I’m knackered but relatively unscathed. Back to the ranch and ...
The Lord of the Rings experience
... itself to me when I took on one of the toughest hikes I have ever done: The Tongariro Crossing. It's also supposed to be one of New Zealand's best one-day hikes. And yes, it does take a whole day to do it (I think we took 7.5 hours). I was very proud to ...
Schnee und Eis
Der Blick aus dem Van am Morgen war nicht berauschend. Der ganze Himmel voller Wolken. Ob unser heutiges Projekt scheitern sollte? Gestern hatten wir uns noch bei blauweißem Himmel Ski und Felle ausgeborgt. Mit keinen großen Erwartungen fuhren wir ...
Taupo
CONTINUED from previous entry More photos - just wait till you see the dvd of us jumping and the 45 secs freefall, it is so ...
The "Family"
From Waitomo, we headed towards National Park Village for a Help X placement. The village is not nearly as exciting as it sounds, but its super close to the famous Tongariro Crossing so we really wanted to stay there in hopes of getting a chance at doing ...
Day 187
... robbery in the past. Oh good, in safe hands then. Anyway, today consists of the entire morning spent on the bus, heading for Tongariro National Park. A very welcome stop-off at 9.30 for a cuppa and a pee, which turned into a 45-minute stop-off as Salty ...
first adventures in nz
der nächste tag brachte neben dem frischen wetter auch einige organisatorische arbeit mit sich. wir wollten alles so schnell wie möglich in die wege leiten um die verlorene zeit wieder gut zu machen. unter anderem managden wir jucy campervan, ...
Rained in...
... us through many rolling green hills with infinite sheep on them - just what I expected and hoped for in New Zealand! In National Park Village we checked in to National Park Backpackers, who decided to charge an extra 2$ for bed linen (!?) and ...
The Tongoriro Crossing! - Brave Little Noodle-Legs
Gotta get this down while I'm still all jazzed about it!!! So here it was, my big challenge. I was SO prepared it's.. well, its downright embarrassing prolly. Here is what I had in my pack for 7 hours of hiking: 4 PB+J sammiches 2 carrots 1 ...
Tongariro Crossing
We drove to National Park from Napier through more windy roads under construction and managed to pick up some loose gravel in the undercarriage of the car which gave us a bit of a scare until it finally all fell out and we realized what it was causing the ...
We Came, We Fell, We Conquered
... night out in Base (a hostel that also doubles as the only place to go out in and NZ town), we headed off to Tongariro National Park to embrace our hikers within... and obviously so Jen could put her Merrells to the ultimate test. However, before we got ...
Missed Opportunities
... Wasserfall erreichten wir schließlich das Park Hotel mit Blick auf die schon genannten Herr der Ringe Berge und den National Park. Eigentlich war für heute das so genannte Tonigariro Crossing angesagt, welche zu den schönsten Wanderungen der Welt ...
Auckland to Wackapapa
... pap on this one but it is really just a circular track up a hill - go to Switzerland for Engineering marvels. Exited at national Park and after some effort found someone willing to give me a lift up the mountain to Whakapapa the outpost for all the ...
Day 208
Up in the pitch black and freezing cold at 5.30 am, so we can get the bus to National Park for people to do the Tongariro Alpine Crossing. Worst thing is, even though I have to get up with the bus, I'm not even doing the crossing as I’ve already ...
Cave tubing with the glow worms
Today we went and did something that I highlighted in my guidebook as soon as I read about it... blackwater rafting through a cave system near Waitomo, with 'Glowworms' that are all over the ceilings. But we weren't leaving on the rafting trip until ...