Huka Falls and Thermal Park
Huka Falls
This is some of the most beautiful water I have ever seen in my life. Huka Falls is considered one of the most visited tourist attractions in New Zealand. That being said, even with a lot of people around, this is my new favorite spot. I have always loved waterfalls, and this is the most beautiful one I've ever seen. It even tops the Golden Circle in Iceland, just because the water is so tremendously clear and the waterfall makes it a rich sky blue.
Huka Falls Walkway
This trail leads to the Spa Thermal Park, which is where the thermal spring feeds into the Waikato River. There are multiple little pools where people can come to sit in the hot baths. Including stops, it is an easy walk, about an hour long. After walking this trail on the first day, we decided to stay two more days to go running and swim in the thermal springs.
On the day that we planned to swim in the springs, it started pouring rain, and it never let up. We had a slow start to the day, and we didn't end up getting out to the thermal pools until about 1 pm. It was still raining, therefore the water was not quite as hot as the day prior. We still got in and we ended up spending a few hours just soaking and talking to a local Maori. I was a little upset that we went when the weather was absolute shit, but I'm glad we went to experience it. The pools were a lot more shallow than I thought they would be, and not quite as comfortable. There are a few waterfalls, and I don't think I have ever seen the thermal springs without at least one other group in the area. Even when it was raining, there were many tourists that walked past us soaking in the pools.
We camped out at Reid's Farm, which is a free camping ground! We met a few Germans, then hung out with them and played cards for awhile. It's a place to camp with awesome views and meet other fellow campers.
The Honey Hive
New Zealand is known for having the best honey in the world, and Debbie absolutely loves bees, so this was a must-do for us. It's just a cute little shop, down the road from Huka Falls. They have free honey tasting and a small bee farm that you can look at. I've never been a huge fan of honey, but they had a wide collection, and I have to admit, they were pretty good. I'd recommend a short stop here while you're around the Huka Falls area.
