Emerald Lakes

We made it!

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January 9th 2006
We did the Tongariro Crossing today. It is a 17km hike that takes you across several craters and by the side of a volcano. The superfit people can hike up this as an aside to the main track! The hike, although hard going in places, was excellent. There were really good views and the scenery was amazing. A lot of this area was used in Lord of the Rings and we saw "Mt Doom". The hike involved tw ... read more

Oceania » New Zealand » North Island » Tongariro National Park

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The Polynesian Maori reached New Zealand in about A.D. 800. In 1840, their chieftains entered into a compact with Britain, the Treaty of Waitangi, in which they ceded sovereignty to Queen Victoria while retaining territorial rights. In that same year... ... read more