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Published: January 16th 2009
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This was the day that wasn't REALLY supposed to happen. Thi was the day that was the best one i've had, if not ever, then certainly in a VERY VERY long time. This was the day I understood what New vZealand actually is... I'm tempted to just post the pics and have them telll it all, but hey, that just ain'y my style, now is it?! Cue the whittering on that will quite probably be the most romanticised an sentimental stuff enr i have written, and o it should be my oh me oh my my...
So, the day began in true moi stylee witha rather frantic Ian racin thru the corridor into the room souting "holy shit, we got 15minutes till the bus picks us up for the crossing!". NICE ONE!
As it turns out the wonderful,but oh so new zealandy tylee chilled out an laidback staff of yesterday told us that the 7am shaarp bus got here at 8, oops! So, after a frantic run around, oh my gos, have we got all we need, this is a proper bo scary full on ice an snow an shit hike! panic, we all jump on the bus lookin
like we had indedd jus woken up... The bus ride was fun,i was kinda in a strange place o begin ith.. unsure as to how fit i wass an if we would rellay be able to do this, the touted as highlight of new zealand one day hikes, an see all the wonders that we had deliberately not looked at the pgotos or info on till we was it for ourselves... oh and i wqa still hallf asleep, and very aware that the GIANY black cloud we were driving into wss not going to bode wel for my backpacker survival suit: leggins, trousers, vests all a la primark, long sleeved top a la tofino thrift store an the most sensible pruchae i made yet: my trusted and now favourite ever timberland hikin boots ($80 in vancouver instead of 150 pounds back home! get in!)
So, we get into our teeny ikkle bus an tootle off to the back of beyond and the BEAUTY thatis the tongariro range... 3 mountains in the middle fo the park that we will indeed be climbin up an over today! Blimey! Managed to get sorted an off on our merry way thru some osrta
divine intervention, an that's us on part one: the marshlands borad walk. Best thing about this crazee ass walk is that its REALLY diverse! Have now decided that that's nz style: diversity an complete chilled-opuit good timeyness! thru an thru! Today just proved how the environment has inspaored the folk, i guess...
So. we wander thru the valley, the HUGE hills looming in a "yep, we're bigger than ya thought!" stylee an still snow-covered at the to, all of a sudden my primark cheaparse hikin outfit seems a tad drafty... That said the weatherwas brilliant all day! Managed to go from cluody uncertainty to TOTAL sun and blue skies! Perfect for hikin! Yey!
Get along to the base of the rocky devil's staircase - well blinkin named it is too, feckin steep as bro! Phewee! By the time our weeparty gets to the top (of that bit, steady on now...1) alex's foot is as good as fallen off as she has 2 HUGE blisters on her heels, Ian looks vaguley like he may have a coronory an moya an i look like puppies who've just found the andrex roll... AWESOME! does not even come close... I've never really
propeper snow-covered mountain hiked before, but OH AYE! Today i did! see, ya get to the top of the rocky nasty bit an there is this HUGE frozwen lake of ice surrounded by the 3 moutnains... it is beautiful. An the way it just appears over the crest of the climb is really (an yeah, i mena literally!) breath-taking! Spent a few "holeee...." "wow!", and "oh right, so it is still a bit cold!" mometns just kinda lookin at it all, then the fun stuff began: bring on the creakin of a frozen lake as you all cross it during thaw out spring, followed by a STEEP ascent up a bloody big hill during 40km winds, and a snow-covered descent over 2 more peaks, along a valley complete with more snow, and then down the other 3feet of snow-covered side. Oh aye, this is not yer average sunday walk in the park! By the time we got to the top of the first peak i was actually quite emotional:" aware that Dada would have LOVED to be here, that the wind we just didn't die from was really quite danegrous, and that i am pretty much as far away from
glasgow as i p[hysically can be, it all felt quite soething, just to be here really... Magical!
Then, just to prove the "hell yeah, its the best hike ever!"ness of the hike, we head down... and straight into stunning views down the scree slope and onto the 2 emerald lakes - geothermal pools that are so turquoise its unreal! More with the magical, then!
The walk back down was quite tricky too, with Ian doin a fabulous impression of a turkey stuck in the slippiest non-turkey situation ever an fallin proper clown stylee, not just once or twice but 3 times! The last one was actaully quite odd... he kinda went to fall, managed to regain his balance, an then just kinda sprung to the ground anyway... ian, you're a strange yin indeed! 😉 It was all highly entertainin, along wi the snowball fights an the tightrope walker impression moymoy did as she crossed the bit ian fell thru it was a fun time for all! As the pics show...
So, back down, an off to the hostel again - the NICEST nz hostel EVER! Complete with log fire, lovely bar (with well cute surfy/snowboardy stylee staff!)
and outdoor spa pool! - for a well earnt spa as the weather around us was cold, we all got to sit in the hot bubbles an chat. Perfect!
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