http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/New-Zealand/North-Island/Tongariro-National-Park/ Travel adventures in journals and photos from Oceania , New Zealand , North Island , Tongariro National Park en-us Sat, 02 Jan 2010 21:41:29 +0000 Sat, 02 Jan 2010 21:41:29 +0000 Woke up to more snow and it was REALLY COLD. Ok not as cold as Canada but when all you have are tshirts a hoodie and a rainjacket...it's cold Due to the weather our bus couldn't leave at 9 am as planned. We were able to leave by 10 am though. One thing i've noticed about New Zealand is that each town loves to have a big statue of something that represents the town. So i've seen the giant kiwi http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/New-Zealand/North-Island/Tongariro-National-Park/blog-444533.html Made some breakfast watched the snow going crazy and really felt like I was back at home haha. Today I did a lot of reading read most of my book watched another movie the next stray bus came in and a guy from Edmonton was put in my room. Always fun haha. Made our dinner early which was lucky since the power went out again but this time it wasn't coming back on. We sat by one of the fires to st http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/New-Zealand/North-Island/Tongariro-National-Park/blog-444248.html Woke up to pouring rain. It was miserable out. Not only was it raining but it was SOOO COLD Well not cold like Canada but cold when you're not expecting it and have no proper clothes for it We just hung out at the hostel trying to stay warm by the way NZ doesn't have very good heating systems Had some lunch looked out the window and saw snow...yep...snow. Was not expecting that We watche http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/New-Zealand/North-Island/Tongariro-National-Park/blog-444244.html Well my lovely brother decided to finally text me back but did it at 5 am and woke up everyone in my room haha. Packed up this morning and had breakfast. We weren't sure what time the stray bus was coming to get us so we stuck around the hostel and waited. Not so fun haha. It finally came at 1030am. We stopped for some lunch and a picture stop on the other side of lake Taupo and then drove into T http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/New-Zealand/North-Island/Tongariro-National-Park/blog-444240.html Tuesday September 15thToday our lives changed forever. We set off from Westport heading for Karamea 100km north. Karamea isn't on a road that leads anywhere. Our sole reason for going up there was to meet with Bruce Smith the guy who teaches people to build log houses during a six day course. While in Fox Glacier Talita had phoned him to see when we could meet up. He wasn't in Karamea at the t http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/New-Zealand/North-Island/Tongariro-National-Park/blog-437296.html Whakapapa August 2009What a great girls weekend to the snow I once more drive down to the Tongariro National Park past beautiful Lake Taupo to the snowy peaks of Ruapehu and Nghuarahoe to hit the slopes.It was the usual brunch french toast bacon and maple syrup yummmmmmmmmmmmm in Cambridge then to Whakapapa to brush up on my carving. Lisa enjoyed her first ever lesson and I think she may ha http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/New-Zealand/North-Island/Tongariro-National-Park/blog-432760.html After Wanaka we headed north up the west coast of the South Island to get the ferry back to Wellington. From Wellington we headed straight up to Auckland via Tongariro National Park which was used as Mount Doom in LOTR so you can see the pictures we took We spent a couple of nights in Auckland before saying goodbye to NZ and flying off to Hawaii http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/New-Zealand/North-Island/Tongariro-National-Park/blog-429401.html Friday August 14thHappy birthday boeda Konrad We wish we could be there to share your 30th with you May God bless you and grant you happiness and peace on this special day and also in the years to come.We got up early packed our van had a quick breakfast said goodbye to Nicol Mel and little Keira and then braved the morning traffic into Auckland city. It wasn't as bad as wersquod expect http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/New-Zealand/North-Island/Tongariro-National-Park/blog-428837.html New Zealand is the self proclaimed adrenaline sports capital of the world it's not hard to see why. Everywhere you go there is something adventurous to do whether it be throwing yourself off a bridgeplanetall building or taking a mountain hike. I'd love to do them all but money restrictions apply to me so i had to be more selective. that being said I've still managed to do quite a lot plan http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/New-Zealand/North-Island/Tongariro-National-Park/blog-421565.html Firstly let me get one thing straight. I have never seen a full Lord of the Rings film. I saw a bit of the first one but got thoroughly bored and stopped watching. However I recognise that the films are hugely popular and being as this blog has been struggling for ratings recently I figured a LOTR related title might pull in some extra viewers. Time shall tell.Taupo is a town just a hop http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/New-Zealand/North-Island/Tongariro-National-Park/blog-420502.html Friday 26th Sunday 28th June 2009Ohakune Tongariro National ParkWELL I have to say last weekend when I checked out the snow at Mount Ruapehu was an experience. One which I may not dwell on here. It was a bit crazy and I shall gloss over the most part BUTIshbel a girl from work and I headed off at lunchtime Friday for the 5 hour drive South past lake Taupo to the Tongariro National Park area http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/New-Zealand/North-Island/Tongariro-National-Park/blog-414034.html We moved into our new house and everything has been sweet as bro...its nice to have a roof over our heads and central heating at last although double glazing hasn't quite reached NZ yet. Dan has been offered a permanentrestoftheyear job at Telecom providing we stay until Christmas so change of plan again Joey the campervan has been getting on a bit and struggles with hilly Wellington http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/New-Zealand/North-Island/Tongariro-National-Park/blog-413004.html Tongariro National Park 17th 19th April 2009This was a must as my Dad had said it was such a fantastic place. The Tongariro National Park is very volcanic. In fact one of the volcanoes erupted in 1992. The Tongariro Alpine Crossing is said to be the best day walk in New Zealand. It's 19.4 kms long. We set off on Saturday morning in beautiful sunshine. We had to get a shuttle b http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/New-Zealand/North-Island/Tongariro-National-Park/blog-405065.html On saturday morning I left Peak Motor Inn biked along the road to where the registration bench was for the 'Kune Climber' bike race up to the finish line at the Tukino ski area carpark. It started at 697m altitude progressed 17 km to get up to 1780m altitude. There were about 40 competitors in the race which started at 1030. I was also being filmed by an ATV camera on a motorbike the whole http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/New-Zealand/North-Island/Tongariro-National-Park/blog-393855.html This isn't a real entry just a little note about the hostels I have stayed in and if anyone is thinking about coming to NZ you know which ones to avoidAuckland Base ACB Bloody awful dirty small rooms but thats Base hostels all over Kitchen was average but communal area felt uncomfortableRoturua Base again I have to say this was a decent hostel considering it is a base the ro http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/New-Zealand/North-Island/Tongariro-National-Park/blog-392282.html The Tongariro Crossing is a 19 km hike over Mt Tongariro. It is reported to be one of the best 1 day hikes in the world although I haven't done hikes in too many places I would bet that it is up there I loved it. I'm staying in Taupo which is about an hours drive from the start of the track. It was pretty misty and cold when we started out on the track once we climbed a bit and the sun go http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/New-Zealand/North-Island/Tongariro-National-Park/blog-385390.html ... New Zealand's most famous Track... really wonderful and fascinating volcano landscape.But it was very very cold and windy. Some 5 degrees celcius People in Austria know what that means Greets http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/New-Zealand/North-Island/Tongariro-National-Park/blog-384625.html We managed to complete the strenuous 6 hour 19K Tongariro Crossing some of us in suboptimal health after a 530AM start to our day. It was scenic and diverse starting with a landscape resembling the surface of Mars and ending with fields of Heather and a thick Princess Bridestyle forest. We had our lunch at the summit surrounded by 3 radiant turquoise lakes. There were loads of people the http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/New-Zealand/North-Island/Tongariro-National-Park/blog-382419.html Having had such a great time up in the Bay of Islands I was really looking forward to the next few weeks travelling on Magic bus. Even though for the first week I am going to be covering a lot of the country that I have already visited I have a feeling I going to enjoy it in a whole new way.So having left Auckland once again but this time heading south into lsquoKing Countryrsquo we headed t http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/New-Zealand/North-Island/Tongariro-National-Park/blog-382317.html After getting up at 430 I was on my way up to the Tongariro National Park by 530 armed with 3 litres of water lots of clothes changes and enough food for 2 days as advised by the drivers. I felt quite nervous and as if I hadn't slept at all but also excited to walk across a volcano and do the best walk in New Zealand and one of the top ten one day walks in the world. As soon as I got off the b http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/New-Zealand/North-Island/Tongariro-National-Park/blog-380432.html