I slept like a baby after the evening in the Polynesian Spa, ready to start the day in Rotorua… But somehow, I was undecided what to see, the thermal pods in the park, the Lake, the Māori site with the Geysir…

I walked a bit along the lake and through those sulfur and steam vents… but honestly, after a trip to Iceland and all the springs and volcanic activity in Yellowstone, this didn’t seem too exciting…

I walked a bit through the Māori village, but wasn’t really eager to pay a steep entry fee, especially as the Geysir only erupts once in the morning, and I was already too late.

So on I went, in my pocket a paper with a local secret: Kerosene creek, some 20 kilometers south of Rotorua on my way to Taupo, where you can take a bath in a natural hot river. The description didn’t sound too precise, so I didn’t really count on it, but it was surprisingly easy to find, even without any road signs.

And indeed, this was paradise… a little river flowing through a forest, forming little pools, and, after a little waterfall, the main pool. Already a few people there, mostly tourists, including six pensioners from Franconia. “We got it from the Lonely Planet” they explained. Ok, once it’s there it’ll never be a secret local spot again…

The water was perfect, somewhere around 38-40 degrees, and the waterfall provided the best natural shoulder and back massage you can imagine… It really made you just want to hang in there.

Candles in some of the coves betrayed it: people come here at night. If this is already a fascinating spot during the day, at night in candle light or a bonfire it must be magic.

You wouldn’t be surprised to run into Pan or a bunch of fairies from Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream. I seriously would recommend some skinny dipping though. Clothes just seem out of place there.

As much as I wanted to stay, I had to go on. 225 kilometers, and I had no idea whether the road would be easy or windy. Also, the water seriously threatened to put me to sleep for the rest of the day…

However, only a few curves down the road, the next hidden gem: Wai-o-tapu. Its mud pools needed a quick inspection. These ones are protected, so one cannot bathe in them (as apparently one can in others), but are nonetheless worth the stop.

I didn’t visit the Geysir and the Champagne Pool…. And on the way to Lake Taupo I skipped a lot of other sights: the Buried Village (victim to a volcano in the 19th century, a sort of NZ Pompeii), Orakei Korako (The Hidden Valley), the Huka Falls (only a quick photo stop), the Craters of the moon (a funny side product to a geothermal energy plant, that made an area further away turn into a landscape full of craters).

I sure did underestimate the time I would have needed to see all this – probably a full day. In Lake Taupo, I only had a quick late lunch, and on I drove to my destination: Ohakune, hidden behind the North Islands impressive trio of volcanos in Tongariro National Park.

The views on Lake Taupo from above were amazing. I really want to stay a day on that lake. However, what was to follow was not less breathtaking.

I drove along the three volcanic peaks, consisting of Mount Tonagriro (still fuming from its November eruption that made NZ cancel a number of flights), the perfectly shaped Mount Ngauruhoe and the cloud-crowned Mount Ruhapehu.

Technically, Mount Ngauruhoe is only a secondary cone of Mount Tongariro. It’s only 2500 years old (quite big already) and it erupted more than 45 times in the 20th century, and most recently two years ago. It’s a fascinating sight. I don’t know why but it looks evil to me.

Once arrived in Ohakune, I paid a visit to the last one in the trio and drove the 17km to the (deserted) ski station on Mount Ruapehu. This volcano is just as active as his brothers, as recently as 2007, and they are waiting for the next eruption.

It was a nice drive up, through lush forests, then dry woods, replaced by grasses, then barren rock. The view over the area must sure be nice, if the skies are clear. I however, was above the clouds and saw an amazing sunset in a sea of white clouds.