The Tongariro Crossing and Trip Summary

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March 14-17

We spent a day exploring a cave with a stream running through it, climbing over a kilometer through the dark with only our headlamps to guide the way. It was awesome, but unfortunately not an ideal place to take photos.

To get north from Christchurch I arranged a rental car for free by utilizing a "relocation" deal, which resulted in us driving for a day in one of the worst pieces of crap cars that is allowed on the New Zealand roads. But before leaving Christchurch, we met for lunch with Djuke and her boyfriend. They are from the Netherlands and I met Djuke while hitchhiking 3 years ago, so it was ironic that she was visiting Christchurch around the same time I would be there this year.

Then we caught the interislander ferry from the south island to the north island. The passage took 3 hours (most of which I slept) and soon we arrived in the harbor of Wellington, NZ's capital city. There we spent a couple of days with our friends Karen and Mark. We'll be doing a tramp with them and a few other friends starting on the 19th.

March 18

We visited the national museum and did our grocery shopping during the day as we waited for Mark and Karen to return home from work. They got home around 6, their American friend Lori also joined us shortly thereafter, and we all began the 4-hour drive north toward the Tongariro Crossing, one of NZ's Great Walks. We'll all be doing the Crossing tomorrow and in addition to Mark, Karen, and Lori, we'll be joined by my friend Nigel and his friend Nick. In an interesting coincidence, I met Karen 3 years ago during my first trip to NZ, and then met Nigel a week later on another tramp. Last year we figured out that they were colleagues and actually knew each other so we decided to all do a short tramp together this year. It's certainly a small world.

We arrived at the campsite just before midnight and settled in for a short night's sleep before Nigel's promised 6am wakeup call.

March19

The difficulties of being forced to get up at 6am were made somewhat better by the coffee that Nigel provided... somewhat better, but still not a time I usually want to be up by. We shuttled cars around so we had 2 at the end of where we would finish the Crossing, a half hour drive away, and then met the rest of our party at the track start.

As usual, there were crowds of people doing the Crossing. This is NZ's heaviest used track and can see around 2000 people a day walking it, quite a contrast to most of the tramping we have done during this trip.

The terrain is cool, very lunar looking since the track takes you through a volcanic landscape. There's very little vegetation, no trees whatsoever, and you are walking predominantly across lava-created rock fields. There was a good amount of uphill climbing, but being just a day-walk it was easier only having a day pack instead of a heavy backpack.

We took a 3-hour side excursion, climbing steeply up the cone shaped volcano named Ngarahoe (known as Mt Doom from the Lord of the Rings) and got remarkable views from the rim, as well as a strong whiff of sulfur. And then we took the quick way down, sliding/skiing down thick scree slopes with the rocks falling down the mountain at our feet.

The crowds thinned out over the rest of the walk and we got to the end around 6pm, tired and hungry after over 20km of walking during the previous 9 hours. After showers we headed to the local bar for some greasy food and beer to cap off a great day. I could tell we were all tired as most of us were having trouble keeping our eyes open after the meal.

March 20

Nigel headed back north to Auckland in the morning and Karen and Lori headed south to Wellington. Mark didn't need to be home til the evening, so he stayed for a bit as we contemplated whether to climb Mt Ruapehu, another big volcano in the park. Clouds were obscuring the peak though, and we all still seemed kind of tired from yesterday, so we scrapped the idea and went to have a coffee with Mark instead before he left back home for Wellington.

Then he dropped us off at the trailhead where we were going to begin a 4-day route through the desert around Mt Ruapehu, our final tramp during this trip to NZ. Without a car, our backpacks were much heavier than they had been because we have most of our belongings with us now. Despite this, the walking was pretty easy as we made our way through the undulating desert between Ruapehu and Ngarahoe.

By dinner we made it to the Waihohonu hut, which is brand new and huge, and looks more like a hotel than a backcountry hut. There was a group of Israelies who, as expected, were extremely loud, but we still got to know some of the other people staying here tonight. One older couple was from Denver, CO and even invited us to her birthday party on the slopes of a ski resort at home in CO in 2 weeks. Strange.

March 21

We broke off from the more used Tongariro Circuit here and headed south on the Round-the-Mountain track around Mt Ruapehu. The terrain was a continual series of up and down waves over many gulleys leading down and away from the volcanic crater at the top. After awhile we were due east of the mountain and noticed vegetation changing from scrub brush to barren rock and sand, caused by being in the eastern rainshadow.

The ups and down were tough, but the worst part of this terrain is having to ration water over the day after doing so many tracks where water is plentiful. Here in the desert we come across streams occasionally, but the water is no good to drink as it has sulfur and other unpleasant things in it. Thus, we get water from the raintanks at the huts and make it last all day until the next hut.

After crossing a big lahar chute, we arrived at Rangipo hut, which we had to ourselves. It began to rain so we had a roaring fire to keep the hut warm all night.

March 22

It rained and we spent a rest day in the hut. It's strange to know we only have 1 week left on this 3-month trek.

Mid-morning we were startled by an incredibly loud bang which rattled the walls and the door. Confused, we went outside to investigate but saw nothing except the clouds surrounding the hut. As we stood on the deck staring at each other, everything shook with an even larger boom as I began to imagine that either the volcano was erupting sending rocks hurting onto the hut roof, or New Zealand was at war and someone was bombing the mountainside. It turned out that guess number 2 was closer to the truth, as we discovered that the NZ army has a training ground 2 miles away from here in the desert and they were blowing off bombs throughout the day. But until we figured this out by examining the map and reading the hut book, it supplied us with a few interesting minutes wondering if our hut was about to be blown to bits.

March 23

The clouds and mist still shrouded us as we made our way further around the mountain, obscuring the views we might have had. We went across more undulating terrain, and eventually came to the south side of Mt Ruapehu where we saw the first trees we'd seen in days. Near this time the clouds also parted and we seemed to be entering another world, one filled with green things and life. Happy to be out of the desert, we made good time getting to the next hut.

We were joined at this hut by 9 other trampers. 4 of them were truck drivers on a 4-night tramp in the opposite direction, who provided us with plenty of interesting conversation and entertainment. One of them in particular, a very large and jovial Maori guy, added a dimension to things that we haven't experienced before. As strange (or maybe not so strange) as it may seem, this was the first time I've ever come across a Maori tramper in all my time in New Zealand. Ironic that it happens at the last hut we'll be staying at during our time here.

**Maori are the indigenous people of New Zealand**

March 24

A bus going north was scheduled to pick us up from a nearby town at the base of the mountain at 1pm, so we got up before the sun to hike out and get down the road to the stop. It was cold out when we left the hut, but we moved quickly knowing that this was our last true tramping here in NZ.

We reached the road within 2 hours and began walking down it in the hopes of hitching a ride since it was 13km to town. Unfortunately, we had to walk 9km before a guy in a truck gave us a lift the rest of the way. Then we caught the but and headed 5 hours north to a tiny town which was 60km from Thames, where my friend Geoff lives. There was still 2 hours of daylight when we got off the bus, so we hoped to hitchhike there before nightfall.

I set Nick and Andrew up with a spot to hitchhike as I ducked out of sight further up the road, since separating would improve our chances of getting rides. The guys ended up being unsuccessful for about half an hour though, so I started walking back towards them to reconsider whether to continue trying tonight. When I got within 100 yards of them, 2 cars past Nick and Andrew and pulled over for me despite me not even having my thumb out. They asked me if I needed a ride and I said "Yes, but my 2 friends over there need one too," motioning to Nick and Andrew. So I got in 1 car (filled with 3 young Indian guys) and Nick and Andrew got in the other car (driven by 2 Indian guys). They were all traveling together. Apparently I have some kind of hitchhiking mojo left.

We blazed down the highway at terrifying speeds, weaving through traffic as horrible Indian music blared and the guys alternated between yelling at each other and practicing their English conversation abilities with me. But soon we reached our junction and they dropped us off, but not before insisting on getting my name so that we could be facebook friends. I considered giving them the name "Eric Smith" as that would have been the funnier thing to do, but in the end I gave them my own. They seemed harmless..

Then when I rejoined Nick and Andrew, I came to find out that their ride had been in complete silence once their drivers had found out that they were American.

By this time we were 35km from Thames and it was nearly dark, so I walked into a golf shop off the road that was just about to close and asked to use the phone to call Geoff. The shop owner was just leaving to head home so we offered to give us a ride halfway to Thames to a spot where Geoff would pick us up from. So between that ride and being picked up, we were thankful to have made it to Geoff's place by nightfall.

March 25-29

We spent our remaining days in New Zealand on the Coromandel Penninsula staying at Geoff's holiday park and then later going to Auckland to visit Nigel and Tamara before catching our flight home on March 30. In the Coromandel area, we did a little driving to some of the beaches, which resulted in slightly more adventure than expected when we 1) got a flat tire in the middle of nowhere, and 2) almost ran out of gas late at night. But it all ended fine. We also spent a few hours at the famous "Hot Water Beach" where natural hot springs bubble water out through the sandy beach and you can dig yourself a hot-tub in the sand. It was really cool actually and we met a lot of people here as it's a busy place. It was there that Andrew discovered that he still had a heart when he had a 2 hour conversation with a German girl, whom he was very sad to leave there. And while he at least got her name this time, he did not get any kind of contact information, so his chances are unfotunately very low of ever meeting her again. But in any case, it gave Nick and me some good fuel for giving him a hard time.

We also got to attend 2 barbeques, hear some great impromptu musical performances (some by Nick and Andrew), and wander around the big city of Auckland. Then early on the 30th, we caught our flights home and were suddenly gone from the country that has continually been good to us.

Trip Summary

It's been another great 3 months tramping through the wild backcountry of New Zealand. In many ways I'm amazed at how fast the time has gone by, but then I realize how many incredible places we went and how much we were able to pack in during our time there. Each of the trips I've taken through New Zealand have been awesome, but this trip will have memories that certainly will be special. In many ways I was able to take tramping/hiking to a new level, and I was fortunate that Nick and Andrew were willing to take those leaps along with me.

We hiked for a total of approximately 300 hours during this expedition, during which time we covered between 500-600 miles on our feet. The terrain we covered varied greatly, but was often extremely rough, so many of those miles were hard fought. The result of all that exertion was that Andrew and I lost about 5 pounds each and Nick lost about 50 pounds. 50 pounds!... to say that this sort of a trip can change a person would be an understatement.

Between the 3 of us we've destroyed 4 hiking poles, 1 cooking set, 1 camera, 3 sets of hiking boots, and several utensils (not all our own). But despite these things, we managed to keep most of our gear in good shape and not lose almost any of it. Our bodies have also fared pretty well considering we were all still walking upright and without pain by the time we caught our flights home. Nick lost 3 toenails, Andrew will lose at least 1 when he gets home, and I escaped the entire trip without so much as even a blister ever. I compensated for that by having terrible knee and back pain at 2 points during the trip, but both were relatively short-lived. So overall, this was also a good trip for me in terms of a lack of lingering injuries. Nick and Andrew also experienced back and knee pain, but the biggest setback for us was the flu that we passed to each other during the first month we were in the country.

We visited about 35 backcountry huts this trip, bring my total to over 100. Reflecting on that number, I really realized that I've been extremely fortunate to have visited many great places in New Zealand. We also got to tramp and spend time with a lot of friends I made during previous trips. As always, thank you to all of you for making New Zealand the friendly and welcoming place that it is.

The land itself was stunning again during this trip and no matter how many times you see these places, it fills you with a sense of awe everytime. Whether we were wandering through sweeping valleys, braided rivers, or dry deserts, climbing up lush green mountainsides, raging waterfall chutes, or even terrifying ridgelines and steep glaciers, it was all incredible. I've been telling everyone since the first time I went to New Zealand that it is a place you must visit during your lifetime, and having gone once more that recommendation will be even stronger coming from me.

It was also great to share this trip with Nick and Andrew. We've been through an awful lot together now and I think that we've all grown because of it. We also laughed a lot, mostly at each other, but it was mostly deserved.

So thanks to everyone who has read this blog and enjoyed the pictures. The experience was amazing and I'm glad to have been able to share it.

-Chad-

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Comments

[Dale]

The End
What a great adventure. Glad you all made it relatively safe and bravo to Nick for losing 50 pounds. Hope to see you soon now that you're home.