Since being in New Zealand and reading about all of the trekking opportunities there were here, the Tongariro Alpine Crossing seemed like a good idea.
It was long and tiring (i have managed to strain my knee a little bit) but it was nothing on the Himalayas! It was most definitely and totally worth it in the end. Plus the weather was amazing 🙂
The day began at 6am with a tidy freshen up and a hearty bowl of Corn Flakes, moving quickly out in the trusty hire car (a turquoise Nissan Note if you’re interested) I drove to the Ketetahi Road car Park, at the end of the trek: the idea being that you park your car at the end and get a shuttle bus back to the beginning so that when you are done you simply get in your car and drive homewards…alas, this did not go as planned.
I arrived at the end and parked the car, walked up to the busses and enquired about getting a shuttle to the beginning…the EFTPOS machine for card payments wouldn’t work, and I didn’t have any cash. Groan. So I made my way back the way I had just come, towards the hotels and tourist information centres. After a long stress of asking where I could get cash and not really finding any, I decided to go back to Whakapapa Village and ask there. Eventually, after driving right up to the snowfield (which currently has no snow), I drove to the beginning of the trek and parked the car there, meaning that I would get the bus back from the end instead of the other way around. Simples!
After a long-winded start to the day the trek actually went very very well. I wasn’t too tired whilst completing the journey and the sun was shining all day. It was glorious 🙂
It took six and a quarter hours to get through the 19.4 km trail…not too bad I think…
Powered By Fondant Fancy 