Huka Falls

We couldn't visit Taupo without making a stop at Huka Falls.  It's supposedly the most popular tourist attraction on the North Island.  We had read a lot about it, and were really looking forward to seeing the falls in person.

We didn't realize that there were two ways to get to the falls...one road leading to a parking lot next to a trailhead (1.5 mile trail to the falls), and one road leading to a parking lot about 50 feet from the falls.  Guess which road we took?!  A mile and a half feels VERY long with two three-year-olds, but we took our time and the hike was beautiful.

We came to a bridge and had to wait patiently until Luke and Landon had thrown the right amount of pebbles over the side.

"Don't rush me, Mom."

Hikes are a lot easier when you get carried!  (I'm kinda fake smiling here...my arms and back were burning!)

We finally reached the falls, and they were spectacular!  "Huka" is a Maori word for "foam."

Breathtaking!  We could have stood in that spot all day.  Instead, we loaded up on more meat pies and hit the road (Steve ran all the way back to pick up the van, so we only had to walk a few more feet).

E noho ra, Huka Falls.