This ended up being of the most fun hikes I’ve ever done!! But when our guide showed us the route down, I may have panicked a little inside 👀 Mount Tarawera is near Rotorua in the north island and *needs* to be on your hiking list! The 2-hour long hike takes you to the summit of a volcano that erupted in 1886, creating a massive 6km long crater. (The eruption also destroyed the famous Pink and White Terraces, once considered the “eighth wonder of the world!) Access to the mountain is restricted, so you can’t just show up and do it. You need to book a guided trek in advance - ours was booked with kaitiakiadventures . They pick you up from your accommodation in Rotorua, and you have a fun 4x4 trip up to the starting point of the trek. The hike includes walking along the crater rim, with steep ridges and vibrant red and black volcanic rocks. The views from the summit are so gorgeous, you can see Rotorua’s lakes and the Bay of Plenty region. At the end you race down into the bottom of ...