Crossing Tongariro

aZealot

New Zealand5447 Posts

March 14 2014 09:05 GMT

Right, every so often I like to go walking. I mean properly walking (for hours). A couple of mates and I have been planning to do some of the major NZ walks for a while now. But, we are all lazy buggers. So, often, these plans remained in the air and, a couple of times, were hijacked by circumstances.

I've recently moved to a new town and a new job, and decided that it was time to get one of these walks done before winter set in (I'm not one of those all weather trampers - too soft for that). So, I got off my bum and set about organising a trip to do the Tongariro Crossing. This is often referred to as the finest day walk in NZ. And, after the weekend, I have to agree. It was a great weekend walking and hanging out with old friends, and I came away with a couple of good photos (supplemented by a mate's).

It's been a while since I did a blog, and I felt like sharing with TL. So, here are some pics:

Up from Mangetepopo and in the Southern Crater

Mt Ngauruhoe

The Emerald Lakes

Looking back at Red Crater and Mt Ngauruhoe

What once was larva

The (currently active) Te Maari Crater

Lake Rotoaira and down to Kaetahi

It was a great weekend spent outdoors. The flip side of that is that I am skinned until payday next week which means, apart from some errands tomorrow, a weekend of gaming and watching IEM. It's been a week and half since I last played, and a couple of games this evening had me playing with really slow hands and losing, embarrassingly, a PvZ I had stitched up by trying a two pronged attack both of which I derped and lost into GG. Fucking Zerg... (I kid, I kid). Anyway, back to it, I guess.

icystorage

Jollibee19350 Posts

March 14 2014 10:11 GMT

did you just passed through mordor?

awesome walk and pics btw

FuRong

New Zealand3089 Posts

March 14 2014 11:56 GMT

Been there, done it, got sunburned. It feels really good when you finally make it down the other side, especially if you spend the next day relaxing at the Polynesian Spa.

aZealot

New Zealand5447 Posts

March 14 2014 17:23 GMT

On March 14 2014 19:11 icystorage wrote:
did you just passed through mordor?

awesome walk and pics btw

Thanks! Yes, it is like walking through an alien landscape. Maybe that is one reason we did not climb Mt Ngauruhoe/Mt Doom. The other is that it would have taken a couple of hours extra and a couple of us did not have proper tramping boots. I'd like to make the climb up Mt Ngauruhoe though, next time; if anything, because I hear that while it can take a couple of hours to climb up, it takes about 30 minutes to come down slip sliding on the scree. That sounds scarily exciting!

aZealot

New Zealand5447 Posts

March 14 2014 17:27 GMT

On March 14 2014 20:56 FuRong wrote:
Been there, done it, got sunburned. It feels really good when you finally make it down the other side, especially if you spend the next day relaxing at the Polynesian Spa.

Yeah, we had a good day for it too. Thankfully there was some cloud cover early, but once we climbed above that (and it cleared) it turned into a scorcher of a day. Lovely day, though. Personal highlights for me were walking through the Southern Crater, lunch at Emerald Lake and seeing Te Maari crater spewing smoke on my right as we made our way to Kaetahi.

Spent a part of that evening at some hot pools (no spa). It was a good way to unwind. I headed back to Wellington on Sunday; got done for speeding on the Desert Road. Another reason why I am so broke until payday next week. :-/ Good times, though.

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