Welcome Flats

This was one of my favourite hikes of all time. The natural hot pools at Welcome Flats are amazing- they are huge and hot. On a clear night, there is nothing quite like sitting in a hot pool of water surrounded by mountains and stars.
The hut on site is really nice and the walk itself is beautiful. I even spotted 2 of the rare and difficult to find Blue Ducks on the river. I'll be going back for sure!

Rakaia Gorge

Rakaia gorge walkway is a short and easy 3-4 hour walk along the gorge and down to the river. The sharp contrasts in colours between the blue water and the surrounding scenery can make it a beautiful place to take pictures- although on this particular day it was a quite cloudy until we we were almost finished walking.