Tongariro Crossing

After traversing the Forgotten World Highway we hit the midway point of our road trip to Wellington, stopping for the night in the tiny town of National Park. This hamlet serves as an access point to the many amazing hikes and ski destinations in the area. We planned on doing the Tongariro Crossing, a reasonably difficult 20km trek through active volcanic zones and snow fields, a journey that New Zealanders understate as a “day walk”. A tough breed these Kiwis! The walk’s claim to fame is that one of the volcanoes was used as the set for Mount Doom in the Lord of the Rings movies.

We had arranged a drop off and pick up through our lodge and were very fortunate with the weather conditions as frequent high winds on the ridges end up cancelling many trips. Also, due to a recent eruption in August 2012 that damaged part of the trail, it was only a week previous that the entire walk was open again for trekkers. As we set out, the thin clouds began to burn off, revealing a beautiful blue sky and the unique alpine vegetation.

It was a colourful sight with the grasses displaying a wide array of hues and our ever increasing elevation providing a nice vantage point to the valleys below.

After a stiff climb up through this zone we reached a vast snowy plateau where our meager “winter” clothing was put to the test. Thinking we had left all cold weather behind, we had sent our warm gear home with Patricia’s parents when we met in Thailand, a move we had regretted on and off and one that now really hit home. We improvised by wearing every warm layer we could find, including using socks on our hands in place of gloves. Our excitement in seeing “Mount Doom” looming overhead helped in keeping us warm.

We climbed out of the snow bowl along rocky exposed ridges where the wind really started to howl. We held our hoods in front of our faces and turned away from the forceful gusts that were sending small rocks flying. We leaned our way up the slope and finally escaped as we began our descent past a red crater and blue lagoon below.

We found some comfy boulders and had a nice lunch on the ridge enjoying the amazing view before descending to take a closer look at the emerald green water.

We left the lagoon behind, pushing on through the firm snowpack until we reached a sign that made us pause. Maybe people can run faster than lava if properly motivated? There was only one way to find out, so we continued on. Reaching a steep snow section there was no other option but to take a seat and go for a slide. The spectacular scenery continued with views of Lake Taupo off in the distance.

We then saw definitively the reason for the sign, as plumes of gas rose from a still smoking crater. The nearby overnight lodge had actually been hit during the recent eruption and when passing by we looked inside to see where the flying debris had melted through bunk beds and deposited softball sized rocks inside. We didn’t stop for long!

At this point we had been hiking for about 16kms over rough terrain and our muscles were letting us know that it had been a while since we had done this kind of distance. Apparently surfing is not the best preparation for hiking. It was therefore a welcome relief to descend into lush forest below the windy ridges and to discover a cozy bench located deliciously in the afternoon sunshine. As our pace put us well ahead of our arranged pickup time, we took advantage to laze around and bask in the heat.

Descending further onto the forest floor, we came across a muddy debris field known as a lahar, where volcanic eruptions set in motion a huge amount of earth that crushed vegetation in its path and created new waterways.

New Zealand continues to be shaped by the same kind of volcanic activity that we witnessed during this spectacular hike and it was incredible to get a glimpse of this earthly power up close. New Zealand is definitely a natural paradise!