Staying just north of Rotorua meant that Taupo was about an hour and half drive away, perfect for a day trip.  While I’ve heard the downtown of Taupo is nice, I wanted to focus on some of the natural wonders, so I decided to bypass the lake side area.  

I started with a visit to Huka Falls and Gorge.  The powerful waters and unusual color of the falls took my breath away. The falls generate enough power to fill an Olympic sized swimming pool in 11 seconds.

For those in a rush, there is a parking area close to the falls, but I decided this would be my main stop of the day, so I parked at the Spa Thermal Park and hiked the round trip 6 km trail along the Waikato River to the falls.  Not only did this give me other vantage points of the river, but at the Spa Thermal Park there is a small area where you can either sit in the warm waters of the Otumuheke thermal spring that cascades into the river or wade into the cold waters of the river itself. The fast moving current means that you can’t swim, but soaking my feet and calves after a hike was a perfect way to end the hike. 

Just up the road is the Lava Glass Sculpture Garden and Cafe. After having a quick lunch here, I spent some time checking out the sculpture garden. Glass artist Lynden Over created vignettes throughout the garden showcasing his various techniques. I was drawn to the small worlds encased in glass orbs and the massive glass spheres that decorated the ground. 

Near the Huka Falls observation bridge is the Huka Honey Hive store and tasting room.  The large store offers tastes of their various honeys and meads as well as a small cafe serving ice cream and coffee on site.  Additionally, there is a beehive encased in the wall of their store where you can watch the bees hard at work. 

The small thermal spring at the Spa Thermal Park was just a preview of a more impressive water experience.  Located down the bank off of a small side road to the highway, Hot n Cold springs is a surprise find.  The cold waters of the Waiotapu river flow by the hot waters of a thermal spring creating a shallow swimming area that offers a range of experiences.  Under the clay cliffs, which can be used as a mud bath experience, is the small pool of hot tub temperature water, in the current of the river is cold running water, and in between is warm water laced with cool and hot currents. The water is only deep enough to sit in, but this creates a community vibe where people share stories as they spend a relaxing afternoon.

Just down the road is the not so inviting Waiotapu Mud Pools.  Bubbling mud spurts throughout the pool, so even though the observation deck and small walkway along the edge of the pool was removed from the action, I still jumped back with an exploring mud eruption happening nearby. 

My final stop for the day was a short walk from the Rainbow Mountain trailhead up to the looked over Crater Lake. The 1 km Rainbow Mountain Track climbs through the lush rainforest and offers some of the loudest insect sounds I had experienced.  The small observation deck provides a nice view of the vibrant Crater Lake below.

From the raging waters of Huka Falls to the boiling mud pools and crystal clear water of Crater Lake, the day ended up being all about the power of nature. 

Based on my January 2026 visit.