27/01/2008
My original intention was to spend more time at Queen Charlotte Sound and perhaps take a day trip kayaking around the area. However, as is New Zealand, the weather became a bit grim so I took the next Interislander ferry across Cook Straight from Te Wahi Pounamu (place of the greenstone, south island) to Aotearoa (land of the long white cloud, north island). It was fitting that the crossing was made on a rainy day and that I could barely make out the hills as we eased through the long white clouds. The ferry takes many tourists and vehicles between the islands with ferrys running surprisingly regularly. As the weather was unfriendly outside I sat through the voyage in the main lounge watching kiwi TV for the first and only time in my trip. With my fellow passengers we watched the memorial service for New Zealand's favourite son, Sir Edmund Hillary, the first to climb Everest.
As the ferry pulled into New Zealand's capital city of Wellington, I decided that I was through with public transport and that I would take on the north island by car. Wellington looked like a busy city, so I didn't think anyone would mind if I didn't stick around. I was in New Zealand for the natural beauty, not to bum around the city. I took the keys to my new little car and started heading north through the rain. After meeting so many people on the buses/trains/ferrys etc on the south island I felt like I was cheating a little leaving them behind and taking off on my own. I would have liked to have swung by a bus stop and offered anyone heading my way a lift. With this mind set I was ready to pick up hitchhikers. It was fun driving along the kiwi roads, listening to kiwi radio and the music of the area. My aim was to reach a town called Turangi at the southern end of Lake Taupo in the middle of the north island. It was a cloudy day so I couldn't make out much of the scenery. Along the way I did give a ride to two hitchhikers, heading north to Taupo. They were friendly and talkative and appreciative of a ride in a nice car as we sped along desert road through the rain. I didn't know it then but the cloud we were driving through was obstructing the view of some spectacular mountains in the Tongariro National Park. I would be setting off on a two day tramp in the park the next day. The long white cloud was acting as a stage curtain preventing me from getting the slightest glimpse of what lay ahead.
I had hired the car, primarily to give me the freedom to do a two day tramp in Tongariro without the hassle of timing my trip around buses. Early in the morning I drove through the continuing white cloud to the main visitors centre where I left the car and set off on a 45km tramp around the Tongariro northern circuit. Tongariro contains varying landscapes featuring forests, lakes, streams, desert-like areas in terrain formed by volcanic activity. The cloud continued to obstruct my view, but I was hopeful that is would lift in the afternoon. After about 10km of tramping through the long white clouds, the heavens were lifted and I was rewarded for my efforts with the sight of two spectacular volcanoes which are the centre piece of this wondrous area. Mt Ruapehu (last erupted in 1995) and Mt Ngauruhoe ( last erupted 1976).
My original intention was to spend more time at Queen Charlotte Sound and perhaps take a day trip kayaking around the area. However, as is New Zealand, the weather became a bit grim so I took the next Interislander ferry across Cook Straight from Te Wahi Pounamu (place of the greenstone, south island) to Aotearoa (land of the long white cloud, north island). It was fitting that the crossing was made on a rainy day and that I could barely make out the hills as we eased through the long white clouds. The ferry takes many tourists and vehicles between the islands with ferrys running surprisingly regularly. As the weather was unfriendly outside I sat through the voyage in the main lounge watching kiwi TV for the first and only time in my trip. With my fellow passengers we watched the memorial service for New Zealand's favourite son, Sir Edmund Hillary, the first to climb Everest.
As the ferry pulled into New Zealand's capital city of Wellington, I decided that I was through with public transport and that I would take on the north island by car. Wellington looked like a busy city, so I didn't think anyone would mind if I didn't stick around. I was in New Zealand for the natural beauty, not to bum around the city. I took the keys to my new little car and started heading north through the rain. After meeting so many people on the buses/trains/ferrys etc on the south island I felt like I was cheating a little leaving them behind and taking off on my own. I would have liked to have swung by a bus stop and offered anyone heading my way a lift. With this mind set I was ready to pick up hitchhikers. It was fun driving along the kiwi roads, listening to kiwi radio and the music of the area. My aim was to reach a town called Turangi at the southern end of Lake Taupo in the middle of the north island. It was a cloudy day so I couldn't make out much of the scenery. Along the way I did give a ride to two hitchhikers, heading north to Taupo. They were friendly and talkative and appreciative of a ride in a nice car as we sped along desert road through the rain. I didn't know it then but the cloud we were driving through was obstructing the view of some spectacular mountains in the Tongariro National Park. I would be setting off on a two day tramp in the park the next day. The long white cloud was acting as a stage curtain preventing me from getting the slightest glimpse of what lay ahead.
I had hired the car, primarily to give me the freedom to do a two day tramp in Tongariro without the hassle of timing my trip around buses. Early in the morning I drove through the continuing white cloud to the main visitors centre where I left the car and set off on a 45km tramp around the Tongariro northern circuit. Tongariro contains varying landscapes featuring forests, lakes, streams, desert-like areas in terrain formed by volcanic activity. The cloud continued to obstruct my view, but I was hopeful that is would lift in the afternoon. After about 10km of tramping through the long white clouds, the heavens were lifted and I was rewarded for my efforts with the sight of two spectacular volcanoes which are the centre piece of this wondrous area. Mt Ruapehu (last erupted in 1995) and Mt Ngauruhoe ( last erupted 1976).
My tramp went along the saddle directly between the mountains, and then looped around Mt Ngauruhoe, also known as Mt Doom from the lord of the rings. It was a spectacular tramp between the mountains. Once I had sighted them I couldn't take my eyes off them. I walked on through the desert/lunar landscape (this is where most of the Mordor scenes were filmed) to the halfway point of my walk and my camp for the night. I camped by the edge of a cliff and waterfall, with Mt Ngauruhoe and it's iconic volcano shape always in my sights. I had walked for a day on my own, hardly meeting any others silly enough to take to the track in the morning cloud. I awoke at sunrise to watch the suns light melt down from the near perfect cone of the volcano. 
I couldn't pack up camp quickly enough to get closer to the mountain and see what else lay on my path. After a reasonable climb up the rocky path alone in the morning I reached the Emerald lakes and sulphur steam clouds as well as the Tongariro crossing. This is the most walked one-day track in New Zealand. I got there just as the first of the day trampers arrived. I would also walk the crossing, although I was going in the complete opposite direction to the bus loads of day trampers.
This part of the tramp was truly spectacular and I can understand why so many come to walk the trail. The track runs between ginormous craters, bright cyan coloured lakes, rocky cliffs, volcanic cuttings and edges along the base of Mt Ngauruhoe. I had never walked anywhere like it and was blown away by the surrounds. It was kind of strange to have walked the previous day without seeing anyone, but then on this day passed close to one thousand day walkers. I was going in the opposite direction to everyone else. I liked that. As I dodged the tourists, trudging up the trail, I edge around the base of the volcano and decided I was going up, Frodo style. Yes, it looked really steep, but I had pretty much walked around the mountain, to be satisfied I had to go up. I dumped my pack and began the scramble up the mountain. It was a long climb and I was a bit disappointed when there were quite a few people already up there. The cloud had returned when I reached the top but of the glimpses I managed, the view below was quite awesome. I walked around the crater rim and gazed into the mess of a cavity which still had patches of snow inside. So, that was it. I had climbed the mountain. The climax of the trip had passed. The only thing left to do was go back down again. Going down was heaps of fun as I almost skied down the loose rocks, where each step took me about five. I re-found my pack and continued on the track. I had climbed the mountain and done most of the track, so simply enjoyed the rest of the trail, occasionally looking over my shoulder at the mountain and smiling to myself.
I couldn't pack up camp quickly enough to get closer to the mountain and see what else lay on my path. After a reasonable climb up the rocky path alone in the morning I reached the Emerald lakes and sulphur steam clouds as well as the Tongariro crossing. This is the most walked one-day track in New Zealand. I got there just as the first of the day trampers arrived. I would also walk the crossing, although I was going in the complete opposite direction to the bus loads of day trampers. This part of the tramp was truly spectacular and I can understand why so many come to walk the trail. The track runs between ginormous craters, bright cyan coloured lakes, rocky cliffs, volcanic cuttings and edges along the base of Mt Ngauruhoe. I had never walked anywhere like it and was blown away by the surrounds. It was kind of strange to have walked the previous day without seeing anyone, but then on this day passed close to one thousand day walkers. I was going in the opposite direction to everyone else. I liked that. As I dodged the tourists, trudging up the trail, I edge around the base of the volcano and decided I was going up, Frodo style. Yes, it looked really steep, but I had pretty much walked around the mountain, to be satisfied I had to go up. I dumped my pack and began the scramble up the mountain. It was a long climb and I was a bit disappointed when there were quite a few people already up there. The cloud had returned when I reached the top but of the glimpses I managed, the view below was quite awesome. I walked around the crater rim and gazed into the mess of a cavity which still had patches of snow inside. So, that was it. I had climbed the mountain. The climax of the trip had passed. The only thing left to do was go back down again. Going down was heaps of fun as I almost skied down the loose rocks, where each step took me about five. I re-found my pack and continued on the track. I had climbed the mountain and done most of the track, so simply enjoyed the rest of the trail, occasionally looking over my shoulder at the mountain and smiling to myself. 
After two long days of walking and conquering mountains, my legs were well and truly pissed off at me. I drove the car around Lake Taupo before heading on to Rotorua where I promised myself a nice long soak in a spa. Rotorua wasn't my cup of tea. Way to touristy. I was convinced the kiwi's truly are masters of tourism. Anyone who can turn a puddle, stinking of rotten egg sulphur, into a major tourist attraction is a master of their craft. I was amazed at the number of hotels and maori fun parks they had in this place. To be honset I found it a little disgusting. The smell was actually the most attractive part about the place. Learning from my experiences in the heart of NZ tourism, Queenstown. I decided not to spend too much time in the anus of NZ tourism. I reluctantly paid my money and went for a long bath in the Polynesian spa, by the edge of Lake Rotorua. Slipping in and out of spa pools ranging in temperature from 38 to 42 degrees, I gave my legs a much need rest. 
Having turned my nose up at Rotorua (the place wasn't all bad, on the way out I did see some impressive buildings and gardens, and I'm sure that if you venture into the surrounding forest there are probably some pretty nice spots) I continued onto Auckland, my exit point for New Zealand. Auckland is a city. That's about all I got. It reminded me a bit of Sydney and Brisbane. The Auckland domain gardens are pleasant and the museum is an impressive building with an interesting Maori/Pacific islander display. I managed to keep myself occupied in Auckland for a day, wandering around the city, looking out over the harbour, before driving out to the airport and saying farewell to New Zealand and it's mountains. I recommend New Zealand, although if you go, try and get off the tourist trail. If you are lucky you may see some real kiwis. My next adventure is to Pohnpei, in the Federated States of Micronesia. I am visiting the land of the little people.