New Zealand is known for its natural beauty and stunning wonders. My family and I will be travelling around the North and South Islands for 3 weeks, so we’ll be lucky enough to experience what the country has to offer. Now I’m sure you wouldn’t want to sit in a car for four or more hours along endless roads with nothing to do but stare out the window, and neither did we! So between driving to each place we were staying, we would stop at little sights and activities to stretch our legs and keep the Kiwi wonder going. Today, was Huka Falls between Auckland and Taupo.
We stopped at a few little places along the way, including a suspension bridge with some lovely views over the vast plant life. I was, however, more intrigued by a colony of bumble bees. Why are they so big in New Zealand!? Anyway, we kept driving, found a cute little shopping village with a lovely jade store, took a peek at the information centre, and then arrived at Huka Falls.
The first thing I noticed when we stepped out of the car was the noise, with the rushing water barrelling down the stream. It wasn’t long until I could see what I was hearing, and sure enough, there was a lot of rushing water! The speed of the falls was just phenomenal, and the colour was unlike any rivers I’ve seen in Australia. In fact, all the water here in New Zealand is so blue! The whole country is just an amazing opportunity for photographers, or amateurs like me.
We took a few photos and videos of the falls, and as it became more and more crowded, we decided to go for a little walk further upstream. Although the water seemed so violent before, as we walked further along it became very peaceful and calming. You could still hear the rushing water of course, but it wasn’t as loud and almost sounded like a calming white noise. The surroundings were beautiful, and this was the first time we were acquainted with New Zealand’s bird life. If you’re a regular reader of my blog, you’ll probably know that I love all animals. My parents said that the birds hanging around this area of Huka Falls were ugly because they had no colour, but I thought they were cute in their own way. I think all animals are cute in their own way, colour or no colour.
So after we had spent a moment in what seemed like heaven, we walked back downstream to get a better look at the waterfall. The bridge that we first came to was right above the falls, which is great for viewing the water, but not so great for photos. There were a few lookout areas a few hundred metres down from the actual waterfall with great views. It wasn’t as busy there either, which was great for me since long car rides make me sleepy. And sleepy Merlyn doesn’t deal with people very well.
While we were watching the waterfall, we noticed a small jet boat zooming towards it at a daring speed. This was a perfect allusion to one of our upcoming activities later in our holiday, the Shotover Jetboats! The boat was spinning around, zooming past the rocks, speeding towards the waterfall. They definitely hire some daredevils for the drivers! But it looked like so much fun, I can’t wait until we get to have a go in Queenstown!
So, once the show was over, we got back in the car for a little while longer until we reached our next stay. I still can’t get over the beauty and wonder of New Zealand’s landscape, even after being home for a few weeks. Looking back on the photos I’ve taken of the country, the whole place just seems surreal! Nothing can compare. I can’t wait to find a place as special as New Zealand through my future travels.
All photos in this post were taken by me.
For more information, visit https://www.newzealand.com/au/feature/huka-falls/
The Travel Journal 
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