Just out of Taupo and a stone's throw away from Kinloch sits this stunning rustic hut in the middle of the countryside. On a clear day, you can sit outside around the fire pit and look south and see the mountains in the distance.

Joel and I have been busy with adventures around New Zealand for the past couple of months and this stay at Kawakawa Hut couldn't have come at a better time. We spent a very relaxing few days here, enjoying the indoor fireplace during the clouded over mornings, sitting around with cups of coffee and fresh baked goods from the bakery in town, and basking in the sunshine at the lake or outside the hut with a good book in the sunny afternoons.

Though our main goal for these few days was to fully relax, we fit in a couple of adventures around the area. A quick look at Huka Falls in Taupo, burgers from the General Store in Kinloch, and a hike in the mountains on our way south.

Kawakawa Hut was the perfect little getaway, a chance to reset and unwind, and no better place to do it than being surrounded by mountains, lakes and the countryside.