To
me, the greatest attraction of New Zealand lies in its unrivalled
nature and wildlife. The best way to experience it must be by walking
the many fine trails that crisscross the country. According to our
documentation, one of the best (if not the best) one-day hikes on the
North Island is the Tongariro Crossing in the Tongariro National Park.
Measuring 18.5 km (11.5 mi) in length and including an elevation gain
of more than 750 m (2500 ft), it took me a bit of effort to convince my
sweet wife to join me. But Amy was a great sport so we drove the
distance on windy narrow mountain roads to get to the park.
After
spending a cold, clear night within sight of the volcanic mountain
peaks, we had to rise early to catch a shuttle bus to the trailhead –
it’s a one-way hike and car break-ins are a common occurrence at the
trailhead parking lots, or so they say… Honestly, I can’t believe
no-one has thought of taking up a position of parking attendant
charging folks a few bucks to look after their car, coupled with a
shuttle bus service to take people back from the end of the track to
their cars. No, instead, operators running commercialized shuttle
services round up their slavish customers from the backpacker
accommodations in the area and line their pockets with the grossly
overpriced fares for the simple service they provide using retired
busses from China. They pick you up from your accommodation if it is
close enough, drop you off at the trailhead and pick you up at the
other end eight hours later – and you better not be late, because they
actually have the audacity to threaten to leave you behind at the other
end, should you not make it there on time! And the cost for all of
this? $25 New Zealand dollars per person! And if that’s not enough,
they actually try to charge you more than the widely known fare when
it’s time to pay, saying that it has increased to NZ$35. How very, very
disappointing indeed.
Anyhow, by the time we were on our way,
the morning fog had lifted, much to the relief of the 100 or so people
(!) that set out on the walk that day. Starting off at 1100 meters
(3667 ft) above the sea, the temperature wasn’t exactly balmy, but a
brisk pace kept us warm. An hour into the walk the first major climb of
the trek presented itself, up to the saddle between two volcanic peaks.
Half an hour later at the top of the saddle, we were actually hot – not
quite as hot as in the South Pacific islands, but pretty hot
nevertheless. We paused just long enough to knock back a natural
protein pack (an egg) and stole some steps on many of our fellow hikers
who were in need of more rest. From the saddle, the trail took us
across a crater floor where thick patches of fog still lingered near
the ground – an eerie effect. By the time we were across the plain, the
sun had almost burned off the fog. After we climbed up to the rim, it
had all evaporated and we were rewarded with a clear view of the whole
crater and many hikers making their way across it, like small ants on
cracked earth.
At the exposed ridge on the edge of the crater,
the wind was blowing hard and despite the many layers of clothes, it
was brutally cold. As Amy sought shelter from the arctic winds, I
managed to keep my fingers functioning just long enough to capture the
superb view of the crater and the looming peak of Mt. Doom (from Lord
of the Rings fame) poking through a layer of clouds (see photo).
Bundled
up as much as possible (and thankful for still having our reef gloves
for diving and snorkeling the South Pacific Seas), we climbed another
100 meters (333 ft) along a narrow ridge and past the otherworldly red
crater (see photo – and no, I did not ask those people to go over there
and pose for the photo). At the top of the hike at an altitude of 1886
m (6287 ft), the views opened up completely and with the help of the
strong wind blowing away the last clouds, the views were incredible.
Across the mountain in front of us shimmered the cobalt surface of Blue
Lake and right below us the rocky trail descended towards the three
brightly colored Emerald Lakes. Perhaps there are after all locations
where pictures cannot do the place justice…
From the lakes the
trail descended and kept going down, dropping more than 1000
knee-wrecking meters (3333 ft), winding first through fields of
windblown golden tussock grass, then through native forest, to end at
last at the car park. Fortunately, we made it there with ample time to
spare. And the travel guide was right for a change: The Tongariro
Crossing is a fantastic walk and a great day out!
