So I was hoping to do this hike on one of New Zealand’s most famous one-day treks (or tramps, as they call them around here) — but it was closed by the national park due to heavy winds. It is called the Tongariro Crossing, and it passes between two of the biggest mountain peaks on the North Island. I may be tempted to try again on my way back to Auckland after visiting the South Island. It takes you up past volcanoes and lakes (currently covered in snow). They have a bus service that brings people out first thing in the morning and picks them up eight hours later on the other side.
I went to check out the starting and ending points today, anyway. The trail looks really tempting, but it was pretty cold, and the wind was making it feel a lot colder. I could have sworn I heard a loud rumble coming from the bigger of the two volcanoes when I was at the beginning of the trail. The sky was clear, so it was probably the volcano.
They have a neighbourhood fish hatchery I visited that claimed to be there in case of any natural disasters, “such as a volcanic eruption”. The hatchery was pretty cool. Lots of trout to see. Next to the mountains on the other side of a town called “Turangi” (where I spent the night) is a huge lake that is supposed to have some of the best trout fishing in the world.
I find myself in “New Plymouth” tonight, which has turned out to be a pretty cool little town on the west coast. Lots of interesting little restaurants and a brand-new, very long, and funky coastal walkway that would have impressed Dad with its design. There is another huge volcano just south of here that you are supposed to be able to see from the city, but I haven’t seen it yet because of the clouds. Hopefully, I will be able to hike there tomorrow on my way south towards Wellington. The drive here took me on some deserted back gravel roads that finally gave me the chance to appreciate the place without having impatient drivers tailgating me.
