The drive from Wellington to Turangi is just over 4hrs long but with stops along the way it took us around 5-6hrs!

The initial part of the drive was fairly uneventful given the special treats we had encountered driving in the South Island.

But as we ventured further north it didn’t take too long before the landscapes started to impress.

The main event on this drive is the Tongariro National Park with the spectacular Tongariro, Ruapehu and Ngauruhoe mountains, part of the Pacific Ring of Fire.

To get there you drive the wonderfully named Volcanic Loop Highway!

This is Lord of the Rings country (again) and the location was used to depict the fiery wrath of Mordor and Mount Doom

There is also a lovely waterfall here that was used as the setting for the character Gollum catching a fish.

A fabulous drive with such lovely views and walks in the park. Next stop is Roturoa.