Heading east from Lake Taupo across the Thermal Explorer Highway (who names these things?), I finally started to see the wilder, emptier aspect of the North Island. I even found this random waterfall that was way cooler than Huka Falls.
I started seeing rolling hills devoid of people & sheep. True wilderness.
I even happened to see not one but two rabbits running free. Actually, they might have been hares. I can’t tell the difference. But I know they weren’t indigenous.
Abby actually pointed me to a fascinating New Yorker article about New Zealand’s attempts to root out invasive mammals. “Bloody, bloody biophilia” indeed.