Not Quite Hiking Mount Doom: Hiking the Taranaki Falls Track

When inclement weather nixes our plans to hike the iconic Tongariro Alpine Crossing, we race the rain to hike the 4-mile Taranaki Falls Track.
When inclement weather nixes our plans to hike the iconic Tongariro Alpine Crossing, we race the rain to hike the 4-mile Taranaki Falls Track.
A day exploring the Aratiatia Rapids Dam, hiking Craters of the Moon, and an evening of hot tubbing in the geothermal springs of Taupo, New Zealand.
A gale matters little as we tube through New Zealand's famous Waitomo Glowworm Caves. When we are done, so is the storm. In time to hike the Ruakuri Walk.
Te Puia geothermal geysers, lunch with a view from Skyline Rotorua, and te wero with a dinner at Tamaki Maouri Village In Rotorua, New Zealand
After a sleepless flight, we arrive in New Zealand to picnic along the Ngongotaha Lakefront Reserve, check into to Rotorua, and explore Waiotapu.
Today, we will be removing a panel from the exterior of the camper. To do this, we will have to remove a lot of rivets: buck rivets. After a year of experience, we have a favorite method of tackling rows of rivets which we will share with you today!
This is not the first time we have visited Surfside Beach. It is the first time we have driven on the beach. Better yet, it's the first time that we have visited with a drone. Put it all together and what do you get? A mini movie!
White Sands National Monument has been high on my list of places to visit for quite a while. It was also high on another list: a tentative list of new World Heritage Sites. You know, like the Pyramids of Giza, Galápagos Islands, and other major cultural or natural sites in the world.
We don't have high expectations when we compromise on a campground. We are headed to White Sands National Monument, but there are no drive-in camp sites in the monument itself. So, we need a campground not too far outside of the monument to spend the night and are willing to sacrifice scenery for proximity. So, we expect the regular cramped campgrounds. We are not prepared for the remarkable views from Aguirre Spring Campground.
Our friends in Tuscon, Arizona are adamant: you should go camping in Coronado National Forest. To our surprise, the entry point for their particular camping area is the same we took nearly a year ago to the day when we visited Kentucky Camp.