Tongariro National Park

A short drive from Turangi takes you to the impressive Mount Ruapehu, Mount Tongariro and Mount Mount Ngauruhoe which was used as Mount Doom in the Lord of the Rings. This is also one of the primary ski areas in New Zealand. It was amazing to see the area with no snow and to see how harsh the solidified lava looks.

We definitely recommend tea and muffins at the Chateau at the base of Ruapehu!