Part of the stunning view from the Sky Tower

Tongariro National Park & Auckland

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September 26th 2012
We arrived in the pitch black darkness to the Discovery Lodge hostel in the Tongariro National Park. In the morning we drove to Whakapapa and "tramped" (the Kiwi word for trekking/rambling) along the Taranaki Falls route. With fantastic early morning views of the volcanoes and a beautiful waterfall it was well worth the trip. We had planned on doing the Tongariro Crossing but due to the eruption o ... read more

Oceania » New Zealand » North Island » Auckland

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The Polynesian Maori reached New Zealand in about A.D. 800. In 1840, their chieftains entered into a compact with Britain, the Treaty of Waitangi, in which they ceded sovereignty to Queen Victoria while retaining territorial rights. In that same year... ... read more