Lake Taupo, the largest freshwater lake in the Southern Hemisphere, fills a crater formed by a monumental explosion 26,500 years ago. With fire and brimstone beneath its surface and snow-capped peaks towering at its center, the Taupo and Tongariro region uneasily awaits further geological tantrums. In the background tower the mighty trio of Mounts Ruapehu, Ngauruhoe, and Tongariro, home to the famed Tongariro Northern Circuit tramp (in Tongariro National Park) and the popular Whakapapa and Turoa ski fields.
For 50 years, we have published the world’s favorite budget travel guides, written entirely by students and updated every year. With pen and notebook in hand and a few changes of underwear stuffed in our backpacks, we spend months roaming the globe in search of travel bargains.