It’s road trip time again! This is a 3 part series from Waitomo to New Plymouth in the Taranaki region of New Zealand. In this first vlog, we’re in the Waitomo District which is most famous for its glow worm caves however on this trip we visited three hidden free attractions in the Waitomo area – after grabbing some lunch first! 🙂
It was a 2 hour + drive from Auckland to Waitomo. We had lunch at Huhu Cafe which was very tasty and satisfying. It was definitely a great start to our time in Waitomo before we headed out to do our activities.
Huhu Cafe
Address: 10 Waitomo Caves Road, Waitomo 3943
Hours: Mon–Sun 12–8pm
The 3 free activities/attractions were:
1. Mangapohue Natural Bridge
The entire way leading up to the Natural Bridge felt like a magical hidden gem. An enchanting natural wonder. We did the walking loop through the farmlands too but if you just want to see the Mangapohue Natural Bridge, that alone is definitely worth the visit. The natural bridge is the remnants of an ancient limestone cave system. Getting to the base of the viewing platform is wheelchair friendly so anyone can enjoy this captivating unique part of New Zealand. Apparently at night you can see glow worms!
2. Marokopa Falls
A fierce and ferocious waterfall made even more spectacular by a beautiful little rainbow off on its side when we visited that day. Marokopa Falls is a short scenic drive from Waitomo Caves. After a nice short stroll through a native forest you get an incredible dramatic view of this secret hidden waterfall. There’s a viewing platform to soak in and appreciate the beauty of this truly magnificent NZ waterfall.
3. Piripiri Cave Walk
Go prepared with a torch (flash light) or your mobile phone torch light when visiting Piripiri Cave. Piripiri Cave is one of the few free caves open to the general public in the Waitomo area. Most of the Waitomo caves are paid attractions with a variety of activities you can do inside them. However Piripiri Cave simply requires a short bush walk followed by a staircase down to the bottom viewing platform where you get to marvel at the size and formations inside the cave. Be careful though, it can be a bit slippery so watch your footing!
These 3 free Waitomo attractions are all in very close driving proximity to each other too which makes it a great sightseeing day of low effort and high reward activities that can be enjoyed by solo travelers and families alike.
Our accommodation for the night was in Otorohanga – Chris and Dave’s B&B. We met Chris who was a warm, friendly and welcoming host. Their B&B was very clean, comfy and cosy with ample parking space inside their property. We booked their place via Booking.com.
Chris and Dave’s B&B
Watch the other parts of this NZ road trip:
NZ Travel Vlog 2 of 3
NZ Travel Vlog 3 of 3
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VLOG DATE: 3rd Oct 2020
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⭐ I’ve received many compliments on my pink hoody before (thank you) 🥰 I bought it from our friend Sundai Love’s online store MOODGLOBAL. Btw if you love Japan, be sure to check out Sundai’s YouTube channel too!
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