So as I have mentioned before, in previous blog posts, travelling and working at the same time can be difficult. For me, I found the week or so before we arrived in Taupo pretty difficult in terms of working due to the lack of wifi – I know that’s first world problems but considering the nature of our work, wifi can be pretty crucial. Creating content was the easy thing as there was plenty for me to be talking about. However when we arrived in Taupo, travelling and working became easier. We had decided to stay there for a couple of days and so it gave me a good opportunity to chill out a bit and catch up on the work I had missed.

Travelling and Working – World’s Coolest McDonalds
Taupo is a town beside a lake which seems immediately effortlessly cool – so cool that it’s the home to officially the world’s coolest McDonalds. That’s how cool we’re talking. Sarcasm aside, having a plane that you can eat inside is pretty awesome. There were loads of different bars and restaurants throughout the town and on the lakeside and, of course, the Holy Grail of supermarkets, Pac ‘n’ Save – possibly my new favourite supermarket. Think of it as a supermarket/cash carry; so many bargains! Of all the places I’ve visited on this trip so far I could definitely see myself moving here.
As I said, the stop here was a good opportunity to catch my breath a little bit as the whole experience has been a bit of a whirlwind – great but very rapid fire, so a bit of time to cook some of my own food and enjoy it on the sun deck over looking the lake was utterly perfect. Plus I had then chance to rest up in anticipation of the 19km walk I had planned!
The Tongariro crossing is a stunning day long trek over a variety of different landscapes – volcanic hills, lakes, forest, alpine etc. and is an absolute must do. Particularly if you’re a Lord of the Rings fan; the walk takes you around the base of Mt Doom (if you read last week’s post, you’ll know I’m not quite sure of the significance of Mt Doom in terms of Lord of the Rings, but I went along with it). Apparently the volcano is of important cultural significance to surrounding Maori tribes so they request that you don’t climb to the summit. Considering it would have added an extra 3 hours of trek to an already 7 hour trek, I was fine with that! There was no shortage of marvellous views though. One of the best bits was winding between an emerald green lake and a sapphire blue lake near the base of Mt Doom – I chose it as a lunch spot since it was also conveniently placed about halfway. Have a look at some of the photos! The views were absolutely incredible and the range of view you get throughout the day make it a must for any trip to New Zealand in my opinion – I recommended it to a few friends that were in, or heading to, New Zealand and they all said it was incredible too! The whole walk was beautiful although a bit exhausting so the rest of the day was very relaxed. Despite the sore legs, we still managed to win the pub quiz on our return – thanks to some Jackson 5 karaoke and tattoo trivia! Travelling and working can have it’s perks!
If you’d like to find out more about travelling and working, and what it’s like to live the life of a digital nomad then be sure to take a look around our website – to get updates, click here! And to take a look at the digital business system we use, click here, it’s free and only takes 30 seconds to sign up – those 30 seconds could easily change your life!
I hope you enjoyed this post, let me know if you’ve done the Tongariro Crossing or if you’re thinking of doing it either in the comments or via social media – I would love to hear your thoughts!
Until next time!

Travelling and Working
Ella

Lunch Spot – Travelling and Working

Mount Doom – Travelling and Working