Awesome 12.5-mile hike, with over 3,000-foot elevation gain, with so many diverse highlights: lava field above Taranaki falls, tremendous views of Mount Ruapehu along the way, hiking through a red tussock field on the saddle between Mount Ruapehu andMt. Ngauruhoe, beautiful two-toned Lower Tama Lake, the climb up the steep scree ridge to incredible ink-blue Upper Tama Lake, slipping and sliding back down the ridge, and lovely Taranaki Falls