Hiking Tongariro National Park

I got up at 6:30 am the morning of March 14th, with plenty of time to meet my 8 am bus and cook a nice breakfast of toast, cheese, and eggs. After eating and packing plenty of water and backup snacks I was ready and excited by the time I boarded. From the pickup point, there was a 15-minute ride with lots of other hikers. A registration sheet was passed around to make sure we were all accounted for, and that nobody would be left behind on the trail after the last pick-up shuttle. Once the bus arrived at the trailhead, we all disembarked and it became immediately clear that the trail would be quite crowded. There were more than 100 people of all ages around the start, and there had been an earlier 7 am bus just from our shuttle company, which I realized was only a small proportion of the hikers that day. To get ahead of as much of the crowd as I could, I started walking down the trail shortly after I stepped off of the bus. The hike began by walking up a gradual incline, alongside water flowing through low-lying vegetation and lava, flowing from the rock a few kilometers away. After hiking a little over half a kilometer to a small waterfall that marked the beginning of the flowing water. After returning to the main trail, the incline increased dramatically as we made the climb up into an area known as the Red Crater. Narrow steps and varying fitness levels amongst the walkers made for a thin line of people zig-zagging up the pummice covered slope. When we finally came over the ridge of the crater, plenty of people sat down and rested, taking in the view of where we had been, and admiring the red clay of the crater bottom stretching out before us. This was also the point where wonderful views of Mt Ngauruhoe (famous, most prominently, for its role as Mt Doom in Peter Jackson’s Lord of the Rings). This unsurprisingly prompted lots of photos from myself and others as we made our way across the crater under the looming face of one of the most picturesque volcanoes I have ever seen. After crossing the Red Crater, the trail worked its way along an exposed ridgeline, allowing a cold wind to blow across the still icy terrain. With crater and volcano still in the background, we crested over another volcanic outcropping, bringing into view the marvelous colors of volcanic blue and green lakes lying alongside our path. From this outcropping, the high point of the hike, the trail descended along loose volcanic gravel to the first of the lakes. Making good time, I decided to stop here for a while to eat a sandwich and some snacks, enjoying the view all the while. Slightly impeding my eating experience were a number of steam vents dotted along the terrain, far enough for safety but close enough for a distinct sulfur smell to waft through the air on occasion. After I felt well fueled, I continued my trek between the lakes and alongside another wide volcanic basin, before making my way up another slight rise to a marvelous blue lake. Unfortunately, one muscle in my leg began to cramp a little as I made this climb, so I had a good excuse to rest once again alongside this massive final body of water while rubbing out the offending muscle. After my leg had been convinced to relax, I made my way up over a final ridge and glimpsed for the first time the winding trail down to the parking lot at the end of the trail. As I made my way down, vegetation began to populate the scenery, though colorful volcanic rocks and steam vents still peppered my view. Enjoying the scenery, but now thoroughly content to pick up the pace and make my way to the end, I moved quickly down along switchbacks and over a few cuts small streams had left in the side of the volcano. Eventually, the vegetation grew taller, and all of a sudden gave way to the almost tropical, fern-filled landscape that has defined so much of my time in New Zealand thus far. These final kilometers, though beautiful, were far more enclosed, so I continued to walk without a real sense of distance between mossy trees, ferns, streams, and of course chattering cicadas. Finally, the trail began to trace the side of a rushing stream, which it followed almost until the final steps of the hike. Leaving that forest for the sunny lot, filled with people resting on benches and grass for their ride away, left me hungry to turn around and explore just a little longer. Despite this, my sore feet prevailed, and I found myself sitting in the grass with the others, drinking the last of my water and marvelling at how far I had come since the morning. When the bus finally arrived, I was more than happy to climb aboard and sneak a quick nap on the drive back to the cabin. The rest of the night was spent relaxing and rubbing my sore feet, before falling into a nice and peaceful sleep.

The next day, I awoke a little after 8 with rejuvenated feet, but a sore back and hips. After a slow start and an easy brunch of leftover hiking food, I wandered with my grandma over to the visitor center. With some nice exhibits on the local ecology, culture, and of course volcanoes, the center was a nice place to spend an hour. After some time there, feeling a little more energetic, I decided to take another, shorter, hike to the nearby Taranaki Falls. I moved through this hike quickly, taking time to enjoy the beautiful views as the trail slipped smoothly between the tundra-like plains of low vegetation and the beautiful fern covered forests alongside the river valleys. Once I hit my stride, the soreness stopped bothering me and I was able to sit back and appreciate the waterfall, soak a bandanna in the waters, and enjoy my hike back. When I made it back to the cabin, I took more time to rest and write, did laundry and got dinner with my grandma. Finally, we took a short hike together up to a ridge in order to enjoy the sunset, and returned to the cabin in the dark. Now I am getting ready for what will hopefully be another restful night here in Tongariro National Park before our shuttle back to the train, and subsequent ride to Wellington tomorrow.