Honeymoon Trip: New Zealand Day 2️⃣

Tin Town → Blue Spring → Geothermal Park → Huka Falls → Lake Taupo → Hotel On the day we landed, we contacted a tour guide we found earlier through Xiaohongshu. The next day, we arranged a private day tour around Auckland — a real “special forces” style sightseeing day! Our guide was from Northeast China and was super considerate — we asked him to bring extra water for us (bottled water here is really pricey! 💧😅). After breakfast at the hotel, we first headed to the Apex service center to return our originally booked rental car. Then, our adventure began: 🏘️ First Stop: Tin Town This small town became popular after JJ Lin took photos here. It’s pretty tiny — if you're not a fan, you can skip it! 💙 Second Stop: Blue Spring Probably my favorite spot of the day! On the way, we passed fields full of little sheep 🐑. The water is incredibly clear — our guide told us it's one of New Zealand’s drinking water sources. After walking the boardwalk, you can continue hiking. Highly recommended! ⏱️ 1–1.5 hours. 🌋 Third Stop: Geothermal Park Ticket normally NZD $47, but our guide got it for $40. The whole park smells like sulfur (“rotten eggs”), and the terrain feels very raw. The Champagne Pool left the deepest impression! ⏱️ 1.5 hours. 💦 Fourth Stop: Huka Falls (Free entry) The falls are fed by Lake Taupo — powerful and majestic, almost like a dam. The water is a stunning bright blue. Great photo spots are on the bridge and a lookout platform. Otherwise, it’s mostly walking tracks (Kiwis really love hiking!). For just photos, 0.5–1 hour is plenty. 🛶 Fifth Stop: Lake Taupo Very close to Huka Falls. From afar, it looks like a smooth blue silk ribbon. The lakeside has cute shops and the famous McDonald’s with a plane — perfect for photos! We grabbed McDonald’s there (not as good as in China though 🍔😂). We wrapped up around 7 PM and headed back to the hotel — and it was still bright outside! 🌇 💨 The wind here is no joke — truly, New Zealand winds! 💨 #NewZealandTravel #HoneymoonNZ #HukaFalls #BlueSpring #TinTown #LakeTaupo #GeothermalPark #NZPrivateTour #TravelDiaries