New Zealand: Tongariro National Park

From Lake Taupo we continued on to our next stop, the Tongariro National Park. The road there was quite an adventure in itself! Very windy, narrow and quite steep in sections with a few hairpin turns, but we made it. We chose Ohakune as a base to explore the park. Winter is the high season here, so the town was really quiet, many stores had shorter opening hours or were completely shut for the whole summer. Winter skiing seems to be the main attraction but Summer is beautiful too with many hikes and mountain bike trails to choose from.

We had three full days to explore the park. There are so many wonderful hikes to do. Judging by how quiet the different tracks, many people seem to focus on the Alpine Crossing but it was definitely worth spending some extra time and doing some of the other hikes. The first day in the area was forecast to be just as hot as the whole week had been and then cooling down with some rain expected on the third day. We chose to do a warm up hike on the first day to stretch our legs and get the lay of the land before tackling the Alpine Crossing on the second day. The third day would be a rest day.

We chose the 17 km Tama Lakes with a similar landscape to the crossing as a warm up hike. This track is an extension of the two hour Taranaki Falls hike and is also part of some multi-day hikes and is well-known for beautiful and uninterrupted views of Mt Ruapehu and Mt Ngauruhoe all the way to the lakes on a hot clear day such as it was. The route is mostly level on a well-formed and easy to navigate track but also open and exposed with low tussock grasses and alpine herbs as low scrubby vegetation. From the viewpoint of the lower lake it is a short but steep climb up a scree slope to the viewpoint of the second lake. Even on a calm day the wind was howling here on the Tama Saddle between Ruapehu and Ngauruhoe, a windproof jacket is a must. While we were at this viewpoint of the upper lake, we heard and a loud eruption coming from somewhere nearby which was a little unnerving. There were not many people around, but those that were didn’t seem too perturbed. We concluded that it must be a frequent occurrence but also didn’t stick around for much longer. We didn’t fancy being out on an exposed track if a bigger eruption followed soon after! We passed Taranaki Falls on the way back to the info centre and start of the hike. The vegetation changed much at this part of the hike to tall trees and lush forest around the stream. Also nearby is Tawhai Falls which was used as Gollum’s Pool in the Lord of the Rings movie trilogy. We enjoyed cooling our hot feet in the cold rushing water!

Mt Ngauruhoe on the Tama Lakes hike

Mt Ruapehu on the Tama Lakes hike

View of the lower Tama Lake and Mt Ruapehu

The lower Tama Lake

The Upper Tama Lake and Mt Ngauruhoe

Mt Ruapehu 

Taranaki Falls 

The stream flowing from Taranaki Falls 

Tawhai Falls

Gollum's Pool in The Lord of The Rings trilogy 

The next day was misty, cloudy and cool in the early morning, perfect for tackling the Tongariro Alpine Crossing. Billed as New Zealand’s best day hike, the crossing is a 19.4 km 6-8 hr hike from the Mangatepopo Road car park to the Ketetahi Road car park. Some logistics is required since the start of the hike is a 40 min drive from Ohakune, it’s a one-way point-to-point walking route and the parking limit is 4 hrs. There are many shuttle bus companies providing a pick-up and drop-off service; while we found these to be a bit pricey, there aren’t many alternative options and actually we were quite thankful to not have to drive the 40 km back after this epic but exhausting hike.

The track is best viewed in sections. From Mangatepopo (approx. 1100 m) to Soda Springs it is easy going on a well-formed and mostly flat track with boardwalks over wet areas and we enjoyed the opportunity to stretch and warm up. From Soda Springs it was a steep and tough climb up Devil’s Staircase over layers of ancient and recent lava flows to South Crater (approx. 1660 m), fortunately it is a proper stepped boardwalk which helped a lot. South Crater to Red Crater starts with a short flat section as a reward after Devil’s Staircase before the final steep scree ascent to Red Crater (highest point of the hike at approx. 1900 m). It was cloudy and cool all the way thus far and cooled down further with strong winds up to Red Crater. We missed the amazing views that were to be had up to Red Crater due to the cloud and billowing mist, Justin was a bit bleak but Bron was thankful that it was a cooler day for hiking in this exposed environment.

Start of the Tongariro Alpine Crossing 

Also first part of the walk before Devil's Staircase 

Red Crater is to the right of this pic, final ascent before the steep scree descent

From Red Crater it cleared completely to reveal amazing views of the Emerald Lakes and Blue Lake, a reward for the steep descent down a scree slope that was more sliding and surfing on sand than walking. It was a little challenging with so many hikers on the trail. Some people were walking in the opposite direction on a different multi-day hike, not sure how they made it up that hill with so many people coming down! From Emerald Lakes (approx. 1700 m) it was a short and easier climb to Blue Lake and North Crater (approx. 1710 m) followed by a small mostly flat stretch before starting gently down to Ketetahi Hut. From the hut it is a steady and hard descent to the end of the trail at Ketetahi Road car park (approx. 700 m). Bron was a bit over the descent with still 3 km to go! It was a hard finish.

Red Crater 

Looking back at the steep scree descent from Red Crater

One of the Emerald Lakes 

One of the Emerald Lakes looking forward to the rest of the hike

The same Emerald Lake looking back at the steep scree descent from Red Crater

This pic doesn't really do justice to how steep this slope is! 

Emerald Lakes with Red Crater in the background

Steam rising from the ground 

Before Blue Lake looking back at Emerald Lakes (unseen) and Red Crater almost enveloped in the clouds. 

In this picture you can appreciate how steep that descent is!

The vegetation also changes much through the walk, from alpine scenes with tussock grasses to almost none in the lava flows around Red Crater, to thick lush vegetation at the end. We completed the hike in about 6.5 hrs without rushing and including lots of time for taking photos, catching our breath, having a snack, and enjoying the views. If you are planning to tackle the crossing, do some homework beforehand and come prepared with water, food, a basic first aid kit, appropriate footwear, and suitable clothing bearing in mind conditions can change rapidly. This was a challenging and demanding hike but definitely worth it and the label of NZ’s best day hike!

Blue Lake, halfway point of the hike

Looking back at Red Crater from Blue Lake 

Start of the descent down to Ketetahi Hut and Road

Bron on the descent to Ketetahi Road

The challenge and awesomeness of the Tongariro Alpine Crossing is difficult to convey in a few words and pictures! Enjoy this GoPro video for a more comprehensive overview of our day out! (If you experience difficulties with the link, copy and paste this URL into your web browser: https://gopro.com/v/8vGl6r68My4Vn)

That night was forecast to rain and we enjoyed sleeping in late and a very slow start with a delicious brunch. Our third day in this area was much slower but we still wanted to stretch after the long hike. We kept it local and took a drive to the start of the Mt Ruapehu ski fields and also stopped at the Mangawhero Falls viewpoint. We enjoyed the nice flat and well‑formed 4 km return Waitonga Falls walk through some forest and also open plains. The last walk for the day and this area was the 3 km Mangawhero Forest Loop.

Misty day for a walk to Waitonga Falls 

Waitonga Falls and stream

Spider web at the falls 

On the Waitonga Falls track 

Mangawhero Forest 

View of Mt Ruapehu at sunset from our accommodation.

Thank you Tongariro National Park! 

Next time: Wellington and Marlborough.

New Zealand: Auckland and Rotorua

In February we had the privilege of spending 3 weeks travelling around New Zealand and what a special trip it was! New Zealand is quite far away from everywhere, even some of its closest neighbours. It was summer and we probably won’t live closer again so it was the time to visit! Enjoy this first NZ blog of our time around the North Island.

After a long travel day we arrived in Auckland on a sunny Sunday morning. We didn’t spend a lot of time in Auckland, or any big NZ city actually, so we can’t comment much on what to see and do there. Initially we did consider driving directly on to Rotorua the day we arrived but thought a 3 hour drive on jet lag in a new country probably wasn’t the wisest decision. So with only one afternoon in Auckland, it was spent stretching our legs in the Auckland Botanical Gardens and along the city centre foreshore where there was a festival on at the port and waterfront and ended in an early night to try combat the jet lag!

Sights around Auckland

On Monday we drove south through Hamilton, with a tea break at Hamilton Gardens, to Rotorua, our first stop on the North Island. The heat wave that was over Australia in January arrived in Rotorua at the same time we did and seemed to follow us all over the country. We were grateful for the sunny rain-free days but it was steaming with temperatures hovering around 30°C, much hotter than normal locals told us. Rotorua is the geothermal capital of New Zealand and we were looking forward to a soak at one of the many thermal pools in the area but with temperatures in the 30s we couldn’t think of immersing ourselves in 30°C water too! Fortunately, there are enough land based sights and activities in the area to enjoy also.

Rotorua Museum and Government Gardens

Kuirau Park in central Rotorua 

That afternoon was spent following the Rotorua Instagram Trail. We started at the Rotorua Museum (currently closed due to earthquake damage unfortunately), Gardeners Cottage and Government Gardens close to the city centre. Kuirau park is a free thermal park in the city centre, well worth the visit, and also with a free thermal foot bath. Exploring then headed out to the lakes with short walks and viewpoints around Blue Lake, Green Lake, the boardwalk at Lake Okareka, Tarawera lookout overlooking Lake and Mount Tarawera, and the popular Landing Jetty. It was still light until about 21:00 so it was super easy to be out exploring until late without realising it.

Walking around the Blue and Green Lake 

View from Tarawera lookout 

Boardwalk stroll at Okareka Lake

The next day was a full day of exploring starting at a thermal park. There are many thermal parks around Rotorua, after some research we chose Wai-O-Tapu Thermal Wonderland and weren’t disappointed. Wai-O-Tapu means ‘sacred waters’ in Maori and at 18 square kilometres, there is much to see. If you also choose to visit this park, make sure to arrive in time for the induced eruption of Lady Knox Geyser at 10:15. The park is well-laid out with boardwalks for easy navigation, we chose to do the extended loop to see all the areas of the park, many people skipped the last loop but this forested area with a lake and waterfall is really special and quite different to the rest of the park. We loved the Champagne Pool, Artist’s Palette, Primrose Terrace, bubbling mud pools, and other pools throughout the park. The nature and colours of these pools change through the year depending on the amount of rainfall and water feeding into the area. It was quite dry when we were there so the mud pools were quite thick and dark, like bubbling molten chocolate. In rainier times they are lighter in colour and more fluid so they bubble more easily. It would be interesting to experience the park throughout the year.

Lady Knox Geyser before erupting 

Artist's Palette 

Champagne Pool

Exploring Wai-O-Tapu Thermal Wonderland

It was a toasty 33°C that day. In the afternoon we took shelter amongst the giant Californian Coast Redwood trees in the Whakarewarewa Forest. In the 1890s the New Zealand government began replacing forests that were being cleared for housing and farming and in 1901 the first Californian Redwoods were planted as a trial to assess the viability of exotic species for commercial forestry. These trees have grown faster than in their native environment and have reached 70 m in just 100 years. The area is still a productive plantation but is now protected and open to the public to enjoy the many walking, horse and mountain bike trails. The area is dedicated to the fallen Forest Service members of the first and second World Wars and is also known as Redwood Memorial Grove. A Tree Walk with 21 suspension bridges in the tree canopy was opened in Dec 2015. This forest is truly a New Zealand gem. There are a number of walking trails of varying grade and access. We chose a 5 km walk with some sneaky steep sections but overall shaded and cool. These trees are just magnificent and so calming, definitely worth adding to your Rotorua itinerary!

Whakarewarewa Forrest 

From Rotorua we travelled to Tongariro National Park via Lake Taupo and Huka Falls. Huka Falls is a set of the largest waterfalls on the Waikato River, New Zealand’s longest river and drains Lake Taupo. Just upstream of Huka Falls, the river enters a shallow ravine that narrows from 100 m to just 15 m across the gorge, increasing the water flow and pressure immensely. The hereto placid waters tumble at great speed before crashing into a pool 11 m below. About 220, 000 litres of water gushes through every second, a flow rate that would fill an Olympic swimming pool in 11 seconds! The hydro-electric scheme controls the flow rate and opens the gates several times a day. There are a few viewing platforms, we chose one just down from the footbridge directly overlooking the river. From here we could watch the first pool fill up and then the water come raging downstream. On top of all that, the water is a mesmerising blue. It was truly spectacular and highly recommended! Arrive a few minutes before the advertised time to appreciate the calm waters before the gates are opened.  

The Waikato River just after Huka Falls when the river is raging.

In the distance is calmer waters. Notice the intense blue.

Apart from lunch we didn’t spend much time in Lake Taupo, but it looked lovely with many geothermal and activity options too. From here we travelled to Ohakune, our base for exploring the Tongariro National Park.

More on that next time!