My plan for Monday was to just have a more chilled out day exploring the city of Gisborne, before spending the following few days working my way round the East Cape. Gisborne is the most eastern city in the world and was the first place Captain James Cook landed in 1769 when he discovered New Zealand. After having an awful nights sleep because of the heat, I went for a stroll round the city, checking out the main high street, beach, and river estuary. It was a really nice place to walk round. After lunch I headed up Kaiti Hill which overlooks the city, getting some great views out over Gisborne, Poverty Bay and as far as the Mahia Peninsula. The rest of the day I just chilled out which was much needed after my recent travels.
On Tuesday morning I was raring to go and I had a far better nights sleep. My plan was to follow SH35 also known as the Pacific Coast Highway from Gisborne to Opotiki. The 334km road is another off the beaten track route on my behalf, with SH2 through the Waioeka Gorge linking Gisborne and Opotiki in just 144km. The drive passes through countless bays and small predominantly Maori settlements skimming the coastline much of the way. I knew before setting off I had to be flexible and go with the flow as it would be impossible to visit everywhere en route by hitchhiking.
After having a pretty laid back start to the day, my first stop of the day was Wainui Beach just a short walk north of Gisborne. What I wanted to do here was check out Tuahine Head which is the northern tip of Poverty Bay and home to an old abandoned lighthouse. I however couldn't really get to it because the sea was too rough and it would have required rock hopping so I deemed it too risky. I got a glimpse though. From Wainui Beach I followed the beach right along to Okitu Beach and over the Makorori headland to Makorori Beach where I had lunch. They were all nice sandy beaches, particularly good beaches in terms of surfing.
From Makorori Beach I headed over to Tatapouri Beach where I hitched a ride north to Tolaga Bay, home to the longest wharf in New Zealand. I did a walk here out to Cooks Cove which went up to this headland giving great views over Tolaga Bay, before dropping down to Cooks Cove the other side, which is where Captain Cook and his crew first landed for water supplies. There was also a little side walk through the hole in the cliff to a little secluded beach which was nice. When getting back to Tolaga Bay I checked out the 660m long wharf which I walked to the end of, before heading into the town itself which was a good 30 minute walk from the wharf despite only being the other side of the river which was frustrating. I camped by the beach here.
In the morning there was a fantastic sunrise which I was able to watch without even having to get out of my tent as I was right by the beach. After a pretty chilled out start to the day where I went up to this lookout which looked over Tolaga Bay, I headed north to Tokomaru Bay. I would have visited Anaura Bay prior but it was a 7km detour each way from the main road and it was way too hot to be doing that. In Tokomaru Bay I chilled down the beach where I had a good swim in the sea, the waves absolutely massive! I also had lunch here as well as topping up my water supply which was becoming an issue getting a regular source of drinkable water as the humidity was crazy and all the taps said the water was unsafe to drink.
From Tokomaru Bay I thought I may as well just aim for the East Cape Lighthouse. I managed to get a ride to Ruatoria from there, where I was invited to local marae for afternoon tea which was nice. There were great views of Hikurangi which at 1754m I was tempted to climb, but getting there would have been a challenge and you need to get permission from Ngati Porou tribe to climb it. It is the first point of New Zealand to see the sunrise due it's prominence making it a very sacred place for the Maori, and even apparently has this circle of 9 wooden pole carvings up there. From Ruatoria I got a ride to Tikitiki.
In Tikitiki I got a ride with this couple who kindly took me out to the lighthouse. The lighthouse marks the most eastern point of mainland New Zealand, and excluding remote Pacific Islands like the Chatham Islands is as far east as you can possibly go. To access it required a 21km detour from the main road along a gravel track, and then a climb of 800 steps to reach the lighthouse, sitting 154m above sea level. I would have loved to have camped here to see the sunrise but there were signs everywhere telling you not to and there wasn't really any way of being discreet. I therefore set up camp at the permitted campground about 6km up the road from the lighthouse.
In the morning it was a great sunrise anyway, although I did find myself pretty stranded on the middle of nowhere camping somewhat off the beaten track. It was therefore inevitable I had to walk out of the lighthouse road as I had no traffic to work with, coming back out again at Te Araroa where I had lunch. Once I was back on the main road again I hitched a ride to Hicks Bay where I went out to the historic wharf, as well as checking out the beaches of Hicks Bay itself and Onepoto Bay where I just chilled and had a nice swim. I wanted to see this waterfall too but I couldn't work out how to get to it up close without trespassing. I could see it from a distance though.
From Hicks Bay I hitched a ride to Waihau Bay, which also meant I had crossed into the Bay of Plenty region. It was a very rocky coastline here, but still very pretty. I had dinner here at the local pub, before following the coastline round to Raukokore. I was hoping to get to Whanarua Bay for the night although I misjudged where exactly it was and it was further round the coastline from Waihau Bay than I realised, my map slightly misleading. I therefore found a nice spot to camp by the beach, the advantage being as I was almost facing west I got a nice sunset.
In the morning it was slightly overcast and it rained a bit in the night. I therefore decided I would just aim for Whakatane and miss out Whanarua Bay, which I wouldn't have been able to walk to anyway as I would have had to swim across a river to get there. Somehow I got a ride from where I camped straight through to Whakatane which surprised me. Whakatane is the gateway to explore White Island, the most active volcano in New Zealand. I would have loved to gone onto the island but it's only operated by expensive tour companies. I therefore did a walk out to Kohi Point where I got a good view of the island in the distance, as well as an aerial view of Whakatane itself and Whale Island.
As I had done so well getting to Whakatane, I decided to press on north towards Tauranga as I wanted to explore the Coromandel and that was a good base to aim for to get there. I knew the majority of traffic heading in that direction would either be going to Tauranga itself, or bypassing it to get to Hamilton or Auckland, so I would essentially have to stop in Tauranga the night to get myself in a better position to get towards the Coromandel the next day. I managed to get there in two rides via Matata, and when arriving I had a nice swim in the sea as well as grabbing some WiFi which was non existent on the East Cape. I found a nice spot to camp on the beach.
Saturday, 24 February 2018
Friday, 23 February 2018
Te Uruwera National Park
On Friday my aim to was get to the Te Uruwera National Park to walk the Lake Waikaremoana Track, which is one New Zealands 9 great walks. The 46km walk follows the lake from Hopuruahine to Onepoto and goes through prehistoric rainforest, offering a glimpse at how New Zealand used to be before European settlement. It is also home some of the more endangered birds in New Zealand including the kiwi. Waikaremoana literally means 'sea of the rippling waters' in Maori, and is home to the Nāi Tūhoe people (the children of the mist). When the Waitangi Treaty was signed (the peace agreement between Maori and European settlers), they were the only tribe to reject it, and there is still some tension to the day.
From Rainbow Mountain where I stayed for the night I left a little later than anticipated at it was a really misty morning which meant my tent was soaked. I knew I'd appreciate it later if I dried it there and then. When reaching the SH38 turn off I got a ride within minutes to Muhupara which is the last town before entering the national park. From Muhupara I got a ride to Ruatahuna with a guy guiding in this big delivery truck. It was a really slow drive as it was an unsealed gravel road which was windy and full of potholes, and a single lane in places. There were also several roadworks as the recent rainfall had caused a few landslips. From Ruatahuna I got a ride with some Americans who got me to the Hopuruahine Landing, the start of the walk. I didn't get there until gone 2 in the end, although I had covered a fair distance along what was essentially a gravel track.
From the Hopuruahine Landing, I soon got my first views of the lake and it was stunning. The weather was perfect which made it look extra clear. After passing the Whanganui Hut I headed towards the Tapuaenui campground, skimming the lake edge to get there. After climbing over the Pukehou Ridge I made it to the Waiharuru Hut. From here I continued along the lake edge for a bit before finding a nice secluded beach to set up camp for the night. I had great views across the lake towards the Panekiri Ranges which I go over later in the walk. I even went for a swim and the water was a lovely temperature, refreshing but not cold. The only thing was as soon as the sun went down the sandflys came out which were annoying little buggers.
On Saturday morning I was treated to a great sunrise with the sun rising the opposite side of the lake to where I was camping. The plan for the day was to cover the bulk of the distance to Onepoto at the finish, camping somewhere in the Panekiri Ranges. From my camping spot I continued to follow the lake edge, the path slightly undulating before eventually reaching the Marauiti Hut. The path continued to predominantly follow the lakes edge to the Korokoro campsite although it was a very hilly and muddy section of the walk.
From the Korokoro campsite there was an optional side trip to go and see the Korokoro Falls about a 30 minute walk each way. I thought I may as well so I followed the path upstream, en route crossing the stream which was challenging as it required using this rope system to rock hop, the stream particularly wide and swelled up at the crossing. It was a very slippery crossing. I soon reached the falls and it was a very pretty. On the way back however someone had twisted their ankle at the stream crossing. The girl and her two friends had all left their backpacks at the junction, but luckily I had my first aid kit and knew enough to know how to relieve the pain. Eventually another guy came along and helped me carry her out to the main path, where we were able to use the emergency radio at the campsite to get a boat out to get her. It just shows how much you need to respect wild country in New Zealand.
After my unplanned delay I pressed on towards the Waiopaoa Hut, the path continuing to follow the lake, although incredibly boggy in places. When arriving at the hut I stopped there for lunch. From the Waiopaoa Hut began the most strenuous part of the hike climbing from 600m to over 1100m into the Panekiri Ranges. The climb was an gradual incline for much of the way which made it a slog, but it did pass through some pretty native forest. The last section was really steep, but when up I just followed the ridge line, soon reaching the Panekiri Hut. From the Panekiri Hut I continued along the ridge line which was a little undulating, although the views of the lake were amazing. Eventually I started thinking about setting up camp for the night, looking for somewhere sheltered and discreet as it was incredibly windy out of the tree cover. In the end I found a great spot which was even nice and flat!
Come morning the winds had calmed down a fair bit which was a good thing as I was heading towards the Puketapu Trig, perhaps the most exposed section of the walk. I was only a couple of hours walking from the finish, but the main reason I decided to camp up on the ridge was so that when I reached the trig nearby the Panekiri Bluff, I had the sun behind me. This wouldn't have been the case if I went there the previous day. It was another perfect day and the view over the lake from the trig was absolutely stunning. I soon dropped down to lake level again after the trig to Onepoto Bay which was the end of the walk. I wanted to go for a swim once there but it was advised you didn't because it was near the hydroelectric dam which posed a risk of undercurrents so I thought I'd better not.
From Onepoto Bay I was tempted to do an additional walk to the Onepoto Caves, but I decided not to in the end because I was out of food supplies and I wasn't sure how easy hitching a ride out would be. Luckily I got a ride pretty easily down to Wairoa where I just chilled out by the riverside on the WiFi, having lunch there too. From Wairoa I headed towards Gisborne, managing to get there in one ride. I checked into a hostel there for a couple of nights just to relax a bit after my hike, but also to have a free day to have a good look round the city too which is meant to be a really nice place.
From Rainbow Mountain where I stayed for the night I left a little later than anticipated at it was a really misty morning which meant my tent was soaked. I knew I'd appreciate it later if I dried it there and then. When reaching the SH38 turn off I got a ride within minutes to Muhupara which is the last town before entering the national park. From Muhupara I got a ride to Ruatahuna with a guy guiding in this big delivery truck. It was a really slow drive as it was an unsealed gravel road which was windy and full of potholes, and a single lane in places. There were also several roadworks as the recent rainfall had caused a few landslips. From Ruatahuna I got a ride with some Americans who got me to the Hopuruahine Landing, the start of the walk. I didn't get there until gone 2 in the end, although I had covered a fair distance along what was essentially a gravel track.
From the Hopuruahine Landing, I soon got my first views of the lake and it was stunning. The weather was perfect which made it look extra clear. After passing the Whanganui Hut I headed towards the Tapuaenui campground, skimming the lake edge to get there. After climbing over the Pukehou Ridge I made it to the Waiharuru Hut. From here I continued along the lake edge for a bit before finding a nice secluded beach to set up camp for the night. I had great views across the lake towards the Panekiri Ranges which I go over later in the walk. I even went for a swim and the water was a lovely temperature, refreshing but not cold. The only thing was as soon as the sun went down the sandflys came out which were annoying little buggers.
On Saturday morning I was treated to a great sunrise with the sun rising the opposite side of the lake to where I was camping. The plan for the day was to cover the bulk of the distance to Onepoto at the finish, camping somewhere in the Panekiri Ranges. From my camping spot I continued to follow the lake edge, the path slightly undulating before eventually reaching the Marauiti Hut. The path continued to predominantly follow the lakes edge to the Korokoro campsite although it was a very hilly and muddy section of the walk.
From the Korokoro campsite there was an optional side trip to go and see the Korokoro Falls about a 30 minute walk each way. I thought I may as well so I followed the path upstream, en route crossing the stream which was challenging as it required using this rope system to rock hop, the stream particularly wide and swelled up at the crossing. It was a very slippery crossing. I soon reached the falls and it was a very pretty. On the way back however someone had twisted their ankle at the stream crossing. The girl and her two friends had all left their backpacks at the junction, but luckily I had my first aid kit and knew enough to know how to relieve the pain. Eventually another guy came along and helped me carry her out to the main path, where we were able to use the emergency radio at the campsite to get a boat out to get her. It just shows how much you need to respect wild country in New Zealand.
After my unplanned delay I pressed on towards the Waiopaoa Hut, the path continuing to follow the lake, although incredibly boggy in places. When arriving at the hut I stopped there for lunch. From the Waiopaoa Hut began the most strenuous part of the hike climbing from 600m to over 1100m into the Panekiri Ranges. The climb was an gradual incline for much of the way which made it a slog, but it did pass through some pretty native forest. The last section was really steep, but when up I just followed the ridge line, soon reaching the Panekiri Hut. From the Panekiri Hut I continued along the ridge line which was a little undulating, although the views of the lake were amazing. Eventually I started thinking about setting up camp for the night, looking for somewhere sheltered and discreet as it was incredibly windy out of the tree cover. In the end I found a great spot which was even nice and flat!
Come morning the winds had calmed down a fair bit which was a good thing as I was heading towards the Puketapu Trig, perhaps the most exposed section of the walk. I was only a couple of hours walking from the finish, but the main reason I decided to camp up on the ridge was so that when I reached the trig nearby the Panekiri Bluff, I had the sun behind me. This wouldn't have been the case if I went there the previous day. It was another perfect day and the view over the lake from the trig was absolutely stunning. I soon dropped down to lake level again after the trig to Onepoto Bay which was the end of the walk. I wanted to go for a swim once there but it was advised you didn't because it was near the hydroelectric dam which posed a risk of undercurrents so I thought I'd better not.
From Onepoto Bay I was tempted to do an additional walk to the Onepoto Caves, but I decided not to in the end because I was out of food supplies and I wasn't sure how easy hitching a ride out would be. Luckily I got a ride pretty easily down to Wairoa where I just chilled out by the riverside on the WiFi, having lunch there too. From Wairoa I headed towards Gisborne, managing to get there in one ride. I checked into a hostel there for a couple of nights just to relax a bit after my hike, but also to have a free day to have a good look round the city too which is meant to be a really nice place.
Sunday, 18 February 2018
New Plymouth to Taupo
On Monday I was originally planning to head north up SH3 from New Plymouth. The weather was however horrendous so I opted against that and decided to stay an extra night in New Plymouth. This gave me a free day to essentially relax after all the hiking I've done recently, and I was hoping to go to the local hot pools to do just that. When arriving at the hot pools however it said they were closed on Mondays so that put that plan out of the window. I did manage to have a look round Puke Ariki though which was like a small version of Te Papa. It was a very interesting and interactive museum. I also managed to somewhat dry out some of my stuff from the weekend, as by the afternoon it was nice and sunny outside.
The following day I did head north up SH3, and it was a brilliant day. The plan was to go up as far as the Waitomo area before starting to head East, with several stops planned for along the way. Getting out of New Plymouth was fun however as it is actually quite a large city and I had to walk a good couple of hours before I was actually out of the suburbs. Eventually I managed to find somewhere realistic to hitchhike and I made it up to Mimi, which was the turn off to do the Whitecliffs Walkway. I was hoping to get a ride to the start of the walk 11km down the road although the road was dead so I ended up having to walk it the whole way. En route I stopped at Waiiti Beach.
By the time I reached the start of the Whitecliffs Walkway it was lunchtime. They recommend you only walk on the beach two hours either side of low tide, and I set off about two hours before low tide so had plenty of time to do the walk. The walk went beneath the impressive cliffs along the beach as far as this tunnel. The cliffs were incredibly tall and reminded me a bit of the chalk cliffs back home at times. I did pass a dead cow on the beach though which had obviously fallen off the cliff. When reaching the tunnel I went through it and the rest of the walk followed this track at the top of the cliffs through farmland. The weather turned however and it rained heavily later in the afternoon which was frustrating as I had all my stuff with me and nowhere to shelter.
Eventually I reached Tongaporutu and I was soaked right through. I found this small shelter which I went inside to dry off and get changed. Luckily most the stuff inside my backpacks stayed relatively dry, although I think my tablet is well and truly on its last legs now. At Tongaporutu I wanted to see The Three Sisters and Elephant Rock, and luckily the rain eventually stopped with enough time to go and see it before the tide came in too far. To get there you had to follow the river estuary down to the beach, before following the beach a short way to these sea stacks known as The Three Sisters. Elephant Rock used to look like an elephant although the trunk fell into the sea so it doesn't anymore. It was another pretty piece of coastline. By the time I came back it was basically dinner time so I decided I would just stay in the small shelter I found in Tongaporutu for the night. It was definitely a frustrating day in terms of hitchhiking and weather.
On Wednesday morning the weather had somewhat improved although it rained a bit in the night. I therefore pressed on towards the Waitomo area, although hitching a ride was challenging as the road was so bendy. I eventually got a ride up to Te Kuiti. I was originally going to stop in Piopio to visit the Mangaotaki Reserve and Waitanguru Falls although as I was finding hitching rides so difficult I decided against this. On the drive up to Te Kuiti the heavens just opened, and we passed several fields which were flooded by the recent weather as well as some pretty swelled up waterways.
When arriving in Te Kuiti, I had a little walk round the town which is apparently the shearing capital of the world. It even had some massive statue of a guy shearing a sheep. Other than that there wasn't much else to see, and the rain was just torrential which meant I couldn't really go very far until it passed over. I was hoping to get out to see Marakopa Falls, the Mangapohue Natural Bridge, and Piripiri Caves although the weather put me off. After several hours sheltering from the rain it eventually calmed down a bit, and I made the decision to just aim for either Taupo or Rotorua. I knew anyone going down SH30 from Te Kuiti would be likely passing through one or the other and luckily when I got picked up I got a straight ride through to Taupo.
The drive to Taupo was interesting as the road was flooded in a couple of places from the sheer amount of rain in such a short period! When arriving in Taupo the sun came out so I went for a quick walk down the lakefront before it typically started raining again. Luckily many of Taupos streets are covered in canopies so I was able to walk around the centre without getting wet. With nothing much else to do I therefore spent my evening in launderette to get out of the rain, as well as planning out my coming days, the plan being to get to Gisborne via the Te Uruwera National Park.
On Thursday morning I was up at the crack of dawn, heading out to the spa park just outside Taupo. As I got there just before sunrise there was no one there so I had the hot pools to myself. It wasn't long until they got busy though as soon as the sun came up! After a good relaxation I headed back into Taupo where it was a lovely day, with Ruapehu and Ngauruhoe even visible across the lake. After picking up my groceries for the coming days I headed towards Huka Falls, following the Waikato River to get there. All the recent rain made it a very impressive sight, the waterfall itself just 9m, made impressive by the particularly large amount of water that falls each second.
Once checking out all the viewpoints of the waterfall I hitched a ride north to Wai-O-Tapu, about 20 minutes south of Rotorua. Being in the particularly volcanic active area of New Zealand, there are several geothermal areas which several different companies have taken advantage of by building things like hot pools and tourist attractions, basically as a way of making money out of you. Wai-O-Tapu is one of these areas, and I thought I would give it a visit as it's meant to be one of the more impressive geothermal sites. I was pleasantly surprised when getting there as it was a completely surreal landscape with an array of different colours. This walkway took me round and I was there a good couple of hours in the end looking at all the different sights.
From Wai-O-Tapu my next stop of the day was Keresene Creek, which I accessed by walking through the Kaingaroa Forest straight from Wai-O-Tapu. Like the spa park in Taupo, Keresene Creek was a free place to enjoy some hot pools, although this one was literally a stream. There were several places to swim including a couple of small waterfalls and it was nice to relax for a bit again! From Keresene Creek I headed into the Rainbow Mountain Scenic Reserve. I didn't summit the mountain but I did check out of a couple of viewpoints to see the crater lakes and reddish coloured cliffs of the mountain. I set up camp here nearby the car park too as by the time I arrived it had been a long day. I was also within a 5 minute walk from the SH38 turn off which is the road I needed to access the Te Uruwera National Park the following day so it was a good base for the night.
The following day I did head north up SH3, and it was a brilliant day. The plan was to go up as far as the Waitomo area before starting to head East, with several stops planned for along the way. Getting out of New Plymouth was fun however as it is actually quite a large city and I had to walk a good couple of hours before I was actually out of the suburbs. Eventually I managed to find somewhere realistic to hitchhike and I made it up to Mimi, which was the turn off to do the Whitecliffs Walkway. I was hoping to get a ride to the start of the walk 11km down the road although the road was dead so I ended up having to walk it the whole way. En route I stopped at Waiiti Beach.
By the time I reached the start of the Whitecliffs Walkway it was lunchtime. They recommend you only walk on the beach two hours either side of low tide, and I set off about two hours before low tide so had plenty of time to do the walk. The walk went beneath the impressive cliffs along the beach as far as this tunnel. The cliffs were incredibly tall and reminded me a bit of the chalk cliffs back home at times. I did pass a dead cow on the beach though which had obviously fallen off the cliff. When reaching the tunnel I went through it and the rest of the walk followed this track at the top of the cliffs through farmland. The weather turned however and it rained heavily later in the afternoon which was frustrating as I had all my stuff with me and nowhere to shelter.
Eventually I reached Tongaporutu and I was soaked right through. I found this small shelter which I went inside to dry off and get changed. Luckily most the stuff inside my backpacks stayed relatively dry, although I think my tablet is well and truly on its last legs now. At Tongaporutu I wanted to see The Three Sisters and Elephant Rock, and luckily the rain eventually stopped with enough time to go and see it before the tide came in too far. To get there you had to follow the river estuary down to the beach, before following the beach a short way to these sea stacks known as The Three Sisters. Elephant Rock used to look like an elephant although the trunk fell into the sea so it doesn't anymore. It was another pretty piece of coastline. By the time I came back it was basically dinner time so I decided I would just stay in the small shelter I found in Tongaporutu for the night. It was definitely a frustrating day in terms of hitchhiking and weather.
On Wednesday morning the weather had somewhat improved although it rained a bit in the night. I therefore pressed on towards the Waitomo area, although hitching a ride was challenging as the road was so bendy. I eventually got a ride up to Te Kuiti. I was originally going to stop in Piopio to visit the Mangaotaki Reserve and Waitanguru Falls although as I was finding hitching rides so difficult I decided against this. On the drive up to Te Kuiti the heavens just opened, and we passed several fields which were flooded by the recent weather as well as some pretty swelled up waterways.
When arriving in Te Kuiti, I had a little walk round the town which is apparently the shearing capital of the world. It even had some massive statue of a guy shearing a sheep. Other than that there wasn't much else to see, and the rain was just torrential which meant I couldn't really go very far until it passed over. I was hoping to get out to see Marakopa Falls, the Mangapohue Natural Bridge, and Piripiri Caves although the weather put me off. After several hours sheltering from the rain it eventually calmed down a bit, and I made the decision to just aim for either Taupo or Rotorua. I knew anyone going down SH30 from Te Kuiti would be likely passing through one or the other and luckily when I got picked up I got a straight ride through to Taupo.
The drive to Taupo was interesting as the road was flooded in a couple of places from the sheer amount of rain in such a short period! When arriving in Taupo the sun came out so I went for a quick walk down the lakefront before it typically started raining again. Luckily many of Taupos streets are covered in canopies so I was able to walk around the centre without getting wet. With nothing much else to do I therefore spent my evening in launderette to get out of the rain, as well as planning out my coming days, the plan being to get to Gisborne via the Te Uruwera National Park.
On Thursday morning I was up at the crack of dawn, heading out to the spa park just outside Taupo. As I got there just before sunrise there was no one there so I had the hot pools to myself. It wasn't long until they got busy though as soon as the sun came up! After a good relaxation I headed back into Taupo where it was a lovely day, with Ruapehu and Ngauruhoe even visible across the lake. After picking up my groceries for the coming days I headed towards Huka Falls, following the Waikato River to get there. All the recent rain made it a very impressive sight, the waterfall itself just 9m, made impressive by the particularly large amount of water that falls each second.
Once checking out all the viewpoints of the waterfall I hitched a ride north to Wai-O-Tapu, about 20 minutes south of Rotorua. Being in the particularly volcanic active area of New Zealand, there are several geothermal areas which several different companies have taken advantage of by building things like hot pools and tourist attractions, basically as a way of making money out of you. Wai-O-Tapu is one of these areas, and I thought I would give it a visit as it's meant to be one of the more impressive geothermal sites. I was pleasantly surprised when getting there as it was a completely surreal landscape with an array of different colours. This walkway took me round and I was there a good couple of hours in the end looking at all the different sights.
From Wai-O-Tapu my next stop of the day was Keresene Creek, which I accessed by walking through the Kaingaroa Forest straight from Wai-O-Tapu. Like the spa park in Taupo, Keresene Creek was a free place to enjoy some hot pools, although this one was literally a stream. There were several places to swim including a couple of small waterfalls and it was nice to relax for a bit again! From Keresene Creek I headed into the Rainbow Mountain Scenic Reserve. I didn't summit the mountain but I did check out of a couple of viewpoints to see the crater lakes and reddish coloured cliffs of the mountain. I set up camp here nearby the car park too as by the time I arrived it had been a long day. I was also within a 5 minute walk from the SH38 turn off which is the road I needed to access the Te Uruwera National Park the following day so it was a good base for the night.
Monday, 12 February 2018
Mount Egmont National Park
It was nice to have a good nights sleep before accessing the Mount Egmont National Park, hitching a ride from New Plymouth to Egmont Village and then a ride to the visitor centre at North Egmont with ease. The national park is dominated by the majestic andesitic volcano of Mt Taranaki (2518m), the central point of the national park. Approximately 125,000 years old, it is the park’s most recent volcanic peak. Last erupting around 1755 the mountain is now considered dormant. Local Māori believe Mount Taranaki once stood with the mountains of the central North Island. After a dispute with Tongariro over who should marry Pihanga, Taranaki fled his ancestral home, carving out the bed of the Whanganui River on his journey to the coast.
My loose plan for my time in the national park was to spend 3 days incorporating the Pouakai Circuit, a summit attempt of Mount Taranaki and Dawson Falls. After leaving the visitor centre I headed through lowland forest crossing several small streams including a couple of swingbridges towards the 1220m summit of Henry Peak. There were great views of the mountain from here, as well as Ruapehu and Ngauruhoe even visible in the distance. I was astounded the weather was so good after seeing a weather forecast of rain rain rain all weekend. I instead had clear skies and sun! After leaving Henry Peak I skirted round Maude Peak to the Pouakai tarns where I had lunch. I was particularly happy I had good weather at the tarns as they act like mirrors and made some pretty cool photos!
From the tarns I reached the Pouakai Hut where I stopped briefly for water. From here I had the option to summit the 1440m peak of Pouakai, but the cloud was coming in and starting to cover Mount Taranaki so I didn't want to risk getting caught out in rain. I therefore headed down to the Ahukawakawa Swamp which led me to the Holly Hut, my bed for the night. I arrived mid afternoon and despite Mount Taranaki being shrouded in cloud the weather was holding out, so I did a short additional walk down to the 31m high Bells Falls which was a pretty waterfall about half an hour walk each way from the hut. When getting back to the hut it was nice to have a fair amount of time to relax and unwind with an attempt of the summit envisaged for the following day.
I was surprised by the fact that I was only one staying in the Holly Hut, which is a 32 bed hut and apparently one of the most popular in the national park. It was raining come evening though and was still raining come morning. I left the hut relatively early, with the plan being to reach the Maketawa Hut via the summit of Taranaki. When leaving the rain had stopped although it soon returned, all be it light rain. I had a gradual ascent from the hut, walking along the slopes of Taranaki passing the sketchy Boomerang Slip and the towering lava columns of the Dieffenbach Cliffs en route. The mountain was not visible however although I could still see New Plymouth and surrounding areas.
I eventually reached the Tahurangi Lodge at about 1500m which is where I began my serious ascent to the summit. The weather at this point was pretty good, although the mountain itself was covered in cloud. The path was sheltered initially following this valley before opening up onto the scoria slopes. Here it became more exposed and by about 1800m I was in the cloud. The next section called the lizard was the most challenging as I was walking up loose terrain with little stable material to put my feet on which made making progress slow. By about 2100m it became a bit easier though as there were large rocks to use to get more grip. Eventually I made it to a section known as the Sharks Tooth which was the most exposed part and was very cold and windy, but I made it to the crater on the top of the mountain, although I didn't reach the true 2518m summit as it was an unmarked route with high winds and little visibility so I would have risked getting lost. I would have been breaking Maori laws going there anyway as it's a sacred place to them.
I soon dropped into the crater where it was far more sheltered and had lunch. The crater itself has a permanent ice field which I walked round and explored. I didn't go too far though as visibility was poor and I didn't want to get lost! After lunch I dropped back down as it was getting cold, and the descent was as steep and challenging as the ascent. It was when I reached the loose scoria slopes after the big rocks where I had the biggest issues keeping my footing as the ground was just giving way but I made it back to the Tahurangi Lodge in one piece. From the lodge the Maketawa Hut was within an hours walk, although the cloud had set in and it was drizzling again. I made it to the hut by mid afternoon and there were 5 other people there and they already had the woodburner going which was a welcome surprise!
Within a couple of hours of reaching the hut the rain well and truly set in and it was just persistently raining all through the night. In the morning it was a little bit better although the area was completely in the cloud. I was only an hours walk from the visitor centre where I started and was debating returning there, although I stuck with my original plan of walking towards Dawson Falls. To get there I followed the Curtis Falls track which was incredibly overgrown and had several heavily eroded sections which made progress slow. I was hoping to see Curtis Falls itself which would have required a detour walking up a stream although it wasn't signposted and the fact I crossed several streams meant I didn't know which one it was.
I eventually reached the Stratford Mountain House Inn, and when getting there was an absolute drowned rat as the overgrown path meant the bushes soaked me battling through them, and it was raining pretty heavily too. I was tempted to just bail out here and go to the pub, although I continued on towards Dawson Falls, heading through what they call the goblin forest. After a few more stream crossings including a wobbly swingbridge I made it to the Wilkies Pools. It was so cloudy I could barely see them though! From there it wasn't long until I reached the 18m high Dawson Falls.
After leaving the falls I headed to the visitor centre where I was able to dry off a bit. As the rain was pretty heavy I looked round the centre which showcased the history of Taranaki and all the walks in area, before heading to the nearby cafe. Eventually the rain cleared somewhat so I made the decision to start trying to return to New Plymouth. I had difficulties hitching a ride however as the road was very quiet, although I eventually got a ride to Midhirst. The rain well and truly set in here and I had no choice but to shelter in this garage while it passed over. It didn't, but luckily someone eventually rescued me and took me back to the front door of the hostel. It was torrential rain as you could barely see anything out of the front windscreen when driving. It was nice to get dry and clean again when back in New Plymouth!
My loose plan for my time in the national park was to spend 3 days incorporating the Pouakai Circuit, a summit attempt of Mount Taranaki and Dawson Falls. After leaving the visitor centre I headed through lowland forest crossing several small streams including a couple of swingbridges towards the 1220m summit of Henry Peak. There were great views of the mountain from here, as well as Ruapehu and Ngauruhoe even visible in the distance. I was astounded the weather was so good after seeing a weather forecast of rain rain rain all weekend. I instead had clear skies and sun! After leaving Henry Peak I skirted round Maude Peak to the Pouakai tarns where I had lunch. I was particularly happy I had good weather at the tarns as they act like mirrors and made some pretty cool photos!
From the tarns I reached the Pouakai Hut where I stopped briefly for water. From here I had the option to summit the 1440m peak of Pouakai, but the cloud was coming in and starting to cover Mount Taranaki so I didn't want to risk getting caught out in rain. I therefore headed down to the Ahukawakawa Swamp which led me to the Holly Hut, my bed for the night. I arrived mid afternoon and despite Mount Taranaki being shrouded in cloud the weather was holding out, so I did a short additional walk down to the 31m high Bells Falls which was a pretty waterfall about half an hour walk each way from the hut. When getting back to the hut it was nice to have a fair amount of time to relax and unwind with an attempt of the summit envisaged for the following day.
I was surprised by the fact that I was only one staying in the Holly Hut, which is a 32 bed hut and apparently one of the most popular in the national park. It was raining come evening though and was still raining come morning. I left the hut relatively early, with the plan being to reach the Maketawa Hut via the summit of Taranaki. When leaving the rain had stopped although it soon returned, all be it light rain. I had a gradual ascent from the hut, walking along the slopes of Taranaki passing the sketchy Boomerang Slip and the towering lava columns of the Dieffenbach Cliffs en route. The mountain was not visible however although I could still see New Plymouth and surrounding areas.
I eventually reached the Tahurangi Lodge at about 1500m which is where I began my serious ascent to the summit. The weather at this point was pretty good, although the mountain itself was covered in cloud. The path was sheltered initially following this valley before opening up onto the scoria slopes. Here it became more exposed and by about 1800m I was in the cloud. The next section called the lizard was the most challenging as I was walking up loose terrain with little stable material to put my feet on which made making progress slow. By about 2100m it became a bit easier though as there were large rocks to use to get more grip. Eventually I made it to a section known as the Sharks Tooth which was the most exposed part and was very cold and windy, but I made it to the crater on the top of the mountain, although I didn't reach the true 2518m summit as it was an unmarked route with high winds and little visibility so I would have risked getting lost. I would have been breaking Maori laws going there anyway as it's a sacred place to them.
I soon dropped into the crater where it was far more sheltered and had lunch. The crater itself has a permanent ice field which I walked round and explored. I didn't go too far though as visibility was poor and I didn't want to get lost! After lunch I dropped back down as it was getting cold, and the descent was as steep and challenging as the ascent. It was when I reached the loose scoria slopes after the big rocks where I had the biggest issues keeping my footing as the ground was just giving way but I made it back to the Tahurangi Lodge in one piece. From the lodge the Maketawa Hut was within an hours walk, although the cloud had set in and it was drizzling again. I made it to the hut by mid afternoon and there were 5 other people there and they already had the woodburner going which was a welcome surprise!
Within a couple of hours of reaching the hut the rain well and truly set in and it was just persistently raining all through the night. In the morning it was a little bit better although the area was completely in the cloud. I was only an hours walk from the visitor centre where I started and was debating returning there, although I stuck with my original plan of walking towards Dawson Falls. To get there I followed the Curtis Falls track which was incredibly overgrown and had several heavily eroded sections which made progress slow. I was hoping to see Curtis Falls itself which would have required a detour walking up a stream although it wasn't signposted and the fact I crossed several streams meant I didn't know which one it was.
I eventually reached the Stratford Mountain House Inn, and when getting there was an absolute drowned rat as the overgrown path meant the bushes soaked me battling through them, and it was raining pretty heavily too. I was tempted to just bail out here and go to the pub, although I continued on towards Dawson Falls, heading through what they call the goblin forest. After a few more stream crossings including a wobbly swingbridge I made it to the Wilkies Pools. It was so cloudy I could barely see them though! From there it wasn't long until I reached the 18m high Dawson Falls.
After leaving the falls I headed to the visitor centre where I was able to dry off a bit. As the rain was pretty heavy I looked round the centre which showcased the history of Taranaki and all the walks in area, before heading to the nearby cafe. Eventually the rain cleared somewhat so I made the decision to start trying to return to New Plymouth. I had difficulties hitching a ride however as the road was very quiet, although I eventually got a ride to Midhirst. The rain well and truly set in here and I had no choice but to shelter in this garage while it passed over. It didn't, but luckily someone eventually rescued me and took me back to the front door of the hostel. It was torrential rain as you could barely see anything out of the front windscreen when driving. It was nice to get dry and clean again when back in New Plymouth!
Sunday, 11 February 2018
Forgotten World and Surf Highways
On Tuesday morning it was a bit of a grotty start to the day, although I had a great nights sleep camping by the river. My plan for the day was to do the Forgotten World Highway which is another name for SH43 which links Taumaranui and Stratford. Before leaving Taumaranui I had a look round the town before hitching a ride out with surprising ease. If I had the ability to drive I would have made several stops along the way to do some bush walks and stop at lookouts, but the road was incredibly remote and not the kind of place you would want to get stranded. If had money to spend as well I would have alternatively done a tour with Forgotten World Adventures who hire out these golf buggy things which you can use to travel along the old railway line as an alternative way of exploring the area!
My one planned stop en route was Whangamomona, and after a lovely drive which included passing through gorges, forested valleys, and even a 180m long wooden tunnel, with several views of the endless hills I arrived in the Republic. I say Republic because Whangamomona declared independence from New Zealand in 1989 as a protest to the town being moved from the Taranaki region to the Manuwatu-Wanganui region. It was interesting exploring the town, and I even went to the famous Whangamomona hotel for a couple of beers where I went through passport control and met the current president. Former presidents include a goat and a poodle!
After leaving Whangamomona I hitched a ride to Stratford, passing over a few saddles en route with more brilliant views of the endless hills. Stratford has a Shakespearean influence with the town named after Stratford-upon-Avon, and all the streets named after characters in Shakespeares plays. A particularly iconic building was the glockenspiel which on the hour produced a performance of Romeo and Juliet which was fun to watch. From Stratford I headed to Hawera, making it there in two rides. Hawera just simply had all the amenities I needed, although it did have this interesting water tower. After getting everything I needed I headed to Waihi Beach on the coast near Hawera which was my camp for the night. There was a great sunset in the evening which I watched from the beach.
The following day my plan was to hitch along the Surf Highway which in other words is SH45 which links Hawera and New Plymouth along the scenic route. From Waihi Beach where I was camping I did a walk along the coast to Ohawe Beach which went along the beach beneath these sandstone cliffs. You could see how quickly they were eroding and the result of this made them pretty dramatic. From Ohawe Beach I headed back to SH45, my next stop Opunake. I got there in two rides, stopping en route in Manaia which is apparently the bread capital of New Zealand!
In Opunake I had a quick look round the town before doing a walk along the coast which had some more pretty coastline. After Opunake my next intended stop was Cape Egmont Lighthouse, which is the western most point on the North Island. I found hitching a ride like most of the day challenging as the road was pretty fast and bendy so it was hard to find places where people would stop for you. Eventually I got a ride to Rahotu where I just decided to walk to Pungarehu where the road to the lighthouse begun. When reaching the lighthouse it was pretty disappointing as it was privately owned so I couldn't go right up to it. It was still cool though.
After getting back to Pungarehu, my final stop for the day was Oakura. I was half hoping I would make it to New Plymouth in a day but it was slow day in terms of hitchhiking and SH45 didn't actually follow the coastline so accessing the coastline each time took longer than expected. I could have got there if I missed out Oakura but I decided I would camp there the night before heading to New Plymouth the following morning. In Oakura I walked along the beach which was a massive and more busy one to the SS Gairloch shipwreck. It was an interesting wreck which I explored before heading back along the beach to this creek for a swim, camping nearby.
On Thursday morning I woke up after having a great nights sleep, with the plan for the day being to get to New Plymouth and relax once there. As I was only about 15km along the coast from there in Oakura I decided to walk there by following the coastline. That was easier said than done however as the beach had several creek crossings and was very rocky in places which made progress slow. It was a nice and wild stretch of coastline though. Eventually I made it to Back Beach and the Sugar Loaf Marine Park which was a series of little islands off the coast, dominated by the Paritutu Rock. I climbed the rock and the views from the top were great with an aerial view of the islands and New Plymouth. Mount Taranaki was still shrouded in cloud however.
From Paritutu Rock I dropped down into New Plymouth following the coastal walkway via the port and Ngamotu Beach to the city centre. From the city centre I continued along the coast past East End and Fitzroy Beaches to the Rewa Rewa Bridge over the Waiwhakaiho River. On a clear day the mountain views from here are meant to be stunning but there was no luck. On the way back to the city centre I passed Lake Rotomanu, having a look round the city when arriving. The wind wand sculpture on the beach front was particularly interesting.
After spending the previous 6 nights camping I thought it was time to get a proper bed for the night, so I checked into a hostel. My tent has been a good investment though as it completely cuts out accommodation fees meaning my only expense is therefore food. The downfall however is not getting proper showers and power facilities, something I needed as my power bank was dead and my tablet and camera were heading in that direction too. It was nice to have a more relaxing evening, although I did have to prepare myself for the following couple of days with the plan being to hike in the Mount Egmont National Park.
My one planned stop en route was Whangamomona, and after a lovely drive which included passing through gorges, forested valleys, and even a 180m long wooden tunnel, with several views of the endless hills I arrived in the Republic. I say Republic because Whangamomona declared independence from New Zealand in 1989 as a protest to the town being moved from the Taranaki region to the Manuwatu-Wanganui region. It was interesting exploring the town, and I even went to the famous Whangamomona hotel for a couple of beers where I went through passport control and met the current president. Former presidents include a goat and a poodle!
After leaving Whangamomona I hitched a ride to Stratford, passing over a few saddles en route with more brilliant views of the endless hills. Stratford has a Shakespearean influence with the town named after Stratford-upon-Avon, and all the streets named after characters in Shakespeares plays. A particularly iconic building was the glockenspiel which on the hour produced a performance of Romeo and Juliet which was fun to watch. From Stratford I headed to Hawera, making it there in two rides. Hawera just simply had all the amenities I needed, although it did have this interesting water tower. After getting everything I needed I headed to Waihi Beach on the coast near Hawera which was my camp for the night. There was a great sunset in the evening which I watched from the beach.
The following day my plan was to hitch along the Surf Highway which in other words is SH45 which links Hawera and New Plymouth along the scenic route. From Waihi Beach where I was camping I did a walk along the coast to Ohawe Beach which went along the beach beneath these sandstone cliffs. You could see how quickly they were eroding and the result of this made them pretty dramatic. From Ohawe Beach I headed back to SH45, my next stop Opunake. I got there in two rides, stopping en route in Manaia which is apparently the bread capital of New Zealand!
In Opunake I had a quick look round the town before doing a walk along the coast which had some more pretty coastline. After Opunake my next intended stop was Cape Egmont Lighthouse, which is the western most point on the North Island. I found hitching a ride like most of the day challenging as the road was pretty fast and bendy so it was hard to find places where people would stop for you. Eventually I got a ride to Rahotu where I just decided to walk to Pungarehu where the road to the lighthouse begun. When reaching the lighthouse it was pretty disappointing as it was privately owned so I couldn't go right up to it. It was still cool though.
After getting back to Pungarehu, my final stop for the day was Oakura. I was half hoping I would make it to New Plymouth in a day but it was slow day in terms of hitchhiking and SH45 didn't actually follow the coastline so accessing the coastline each time took longer than expected. I could have got there if I missed out Oakura but I decided I would camp there the night before heading to New Plymouth the following morning. In Oakura I walked along the beach which was a massive and more busy one to the SS Gairloch shipwreck. It was an interesting wreck which I explored before heading back along the beach to this creek for a swim, camping nearby.
On Thursday morning I woke up after having a great nights sleep, with the plan for the day being to get to New Plymouth and relax once there. As I was only about 15km along the coast from there in Oakura I decided to walk there by following the coastline. That was easier said than done however as the beach had several creek crossings and was very rocky in places which made progress slow. It was a nice and wild stretch of coastline though. Eventually I made it to Back Beach and the Sugar Loaf Marine Park which was a series of little islands off the coast, dominated by the Paritutu Rock. I climbed the rock and the views from the top were great with an aerial view of the islands and New Plymouth. Mount Taranaki was still shrouded in cloud however.
From Paritutu Rock I dropped down into New Plymouth following the coastal walkway via the port and Ngamotu Beach to the city centre. From the city centre I continued along the coast past East End and Fitzroy Beaches to the Rewa Rewa Bridge over the Waiwhakaiho River. On a clear day the mountain views from here are meant to be stunning but there was no luck. On the way back to the city centre I passed Lake Rotomanu, having a look round the city when arriving. The wind wand sculpture on the beach front was particularly interesting.
After spending the previous 6 nights camping I thought it was time to get a proper bed for the night, so I checked into a hostel. My tent has been a good investment though as it completely cuts out accommodation fees meaning my only expense is therefore food. The downfall however is not getting proper showers and power facilities, something I needed as my power bank was dead and my tablet and camera were heading in that direction too. It was nice to have a more relaxing evening, although I did have to prepare myself for the following couple of days with the plan being to hike in the Mount Egmont National Park.
Thursday, 8 February 2018
Tongariro National Park
On Saturday morning I caught the train up to Paraparaumu to say goodbye to Melva who I'll miss going to see, before continuing north on the train to Waikanae. My aim for the day was to get to the Tongariro National Park, and shortly after leaving Waikanae I got a ride with this local baker to Otaki. From Otaki I ended up taking a slight detour to Palmerston North, although I was soon back onto SH1 by getting a ride from Palmerston North to Bulls. I had a break in Bulls which I always enjoy for its puns everywhere and statues of random bulls in the street.
From Bulls I managed to get a ride to Ohakune which is a small ski resort town near the slopes of Ruapehu. I had a look round here as it's famous for its carrot statue being the carrot capital of New Zealand. The information centre was interesting too. After sorting out some food for Tongariro National Park the following day I had problems continuing my progress. Eventually I got a lift to National Park Village which brought me within 15km of the national park. With Sunday being the only good day in the 10 day weather forecast I had to continue my progress as the sun set, which was an good one, continuing on by foot in the darkness until I found a decent place to set up camp for the night near the entrance to the road that goes to the Mangatepopo car park.
I was glad I set up myself up nicely the night before, hitching a ride bright and early to the car park which meant I was on the move not long after sunrise. My plan was to walk the Tongariro Northern Circuit, which is one New Zealands 9 great walks, from the Mangatepopo car park to Whakapapa. This basically meant I was walking about 35km of the 43km circuit, missing out on the section linking my start and finish point. On paper the whole circuit takes 3-4 days although I was planning to attempt my slightly shorter route in about 1 and a half days because there were thunderstorms forecasted for the Monday afternoon.
From the car park, the track followed the Mangatepopo stream up the valley, climbing into an alpine environment over a succession of old lava flows from Ngauruhoe, one of the three volcanoes in the national park. En route I did a little detour to Soda Springs which was a 15m waterfall flowing down an old lava flow. Before long I reached a steep climb known as the Devil’s Staircase, at the top being rewarded with views of the valley with Mount Taranaki even visible to the west. From the saddle the track crossed South Crater, before climbing again up to Red Crater presenting me with great views of the red coloured Ngauruhoe and the yellow coloured lake in South Crater below.
The track continued past the rim of Red Crater, soon being offered splendid views of the Oturere Valley and the Kaimanawa Ranges to the east. From the Red Crater which at 1868m was the highest point of the track, its red colour coming from high temperature oxidation of iron in the rock, the path descended down a steep scree slope to the Emerald Lakes, which were a very bright bluey green colour. It was a very steep path going down with some incredibly loose terrain to reach the lakes at the bottom. There was even some pretty active geysers so the area smelt very eggy.
From the Emerald Lakes the track descended steeply into the Oturere Valley with views of the valley, the Kaimanawa Ranges and the Rangipo Desert. It was here I left the Tongariro Alpine Crossing and all the crowds behind which meant I could make some more significant progress. The path weaved through an endless variety of unusual jagged lava forms from early eruptions from Red Crater, which fill the Oturere Valley. It felt like a very alien place as it was just a barren landscape full of random rock formations. After reaching the Oturere Hut the track undulated over a number of stream valleys and open gravel fields. It was a very wild place. Eventually I descended into a valley and crossed the Waihohonu Stream, before going up and over this ridge to the Waihohonu Hut.
A short distance from the Waihohonu Hut I reached the historic Waihohonu Hut which is one of the oldest huts in New Zealand. It's just a museum now though but it was very interesting. The path then followed the Waihohonu stream and gradually climbed to the Tama Saddle. I had some great views of Ruapehu here, the biggest mountain in the North Island and one of the more active volcanoes in the country. There was even snow still on the slopes. Luckily it has been pretty calm just lately. When reaching the Tama Saddle I got great views of the Lower Tama Lake. I decided to set up camp here in the end as it was off the main track inside a crater so I could be discreet and get out of the wind, and it was a very pretty location nestled between the three volcanoes in what almost felt like a beach.
Come morning Ruapehu and Ngauruhoe weren't visible anymore as they were covered in cloud, but the cloudline wasn't low enough to affect me. I actually had a really good nights sleep despite being at 1258m according to my GPS, as I was out of the wind. From the Lower Tama Lake I headed to the Upper Tama Lake and the views were stunning from the top. It was just a shame the volcanoes were no longer visible. From here I continued towards Whakapapa through the open tussocks before reaching the Wairere Stream. This led to me to the rather impressive Taranaki Falls.
Eventually I made it to Whakapapa village which at 1150m is the highest settlement in New Zealand. I spent a couple of hours here relaxing, having a good look round the visitor centre which had lots of information abouts walks in the area as well as several stories, films, and information about previous eruptions. As the weather wasn't as bad as I anticipated I went for an additional walk from the village up to the Silica Rapids which were some rapids with a distinctive milky colour. Further downstream I reached the golden rapids which were basically enriched with high levels of iron creating a rustic golden colour to the water.
When returning to Whakapapa village I followed the Whakapaipito track towards Tawhai Falls. It started raining here however although it was only a shower which was lucky. Tawhai Falls is particularly famous for being the the filming location of the so called Gollums Pool in Lord of the Rings. It was a nice little waterfall. From the falls my next stop was a visit to the mounds, formed by historic quarrying in the area. After leaving the mounds I headed back towards National Park Village. I was tempted to stay there the night as the yha there had a climbing wall and mini golf course but I decided to continue onto the small town of Taumaranui so I could get some proper services. I spent the night camping by the Whanganui River.
From Bulls I managed to get a ride to Ohakune which is a small ski resort town near the slopes of Ruapehu. I had a look round here as it's famous for its carrot statue being the carrot capital of New Zealand. The information centre was interesting too. After sorting out some food for Tongariro National Park the following day I had problems continuing my progress. Eventually I got a lift to National Park Village which brought me within 15km of the national park. With Sunday being the only good day in the 10 day weather forecast I had to continue my progress as the sun set, which was an good one, continuing on by foot in the darkness until I found a decent place to set up camp for the night near the entrance to the road that goes to the Mangatepopo car park.
I was glad I set up myself up nicely the night before, hitching a ride bright and early to the car park which meant I was on the move not long after sunrise. My plan was to walk the Tongariro Northern Circuit, which is one New Zealands 9 great walks, from the Mangatepopo car park to Whakapapa. This basically meant I was walking about 35km of the 43km circuit, missing out on the section linking my start and finish point. On paper the whole circuit takes 3-4 days although I was planning to attempt my slightly shorter route in about 1 and a half days because there were thunderstorms forecasted for the Monday afternoon.
From the car park, the track followed the Mangatepopo stream up the valley, climbing into an alpine environment over a succession of old lava flows from Ngauruhoe, one of the three volcanoes in the national park. En route I did a little detour to Soda Springs which was a 15m waterfall flowing down an old lava flow. Before long I reached a steep climb known as the Devil’s Staircase, at the top being rewarded with views of the valley with Mount Taranaki even visible to the west. From the saddle the track crossed South Crater, before climbing again up to Red Crater presenting me with great views of the red coloured Ngauruhoe and the yellow coloured lake in South Crater below.
The track continued past the rim of Red Crater, soon being offered splendid views of the Oturere Valley and the Kaimanawa Ranges to the east. From the Red Crater which at 1868m was the highest point of the track, its red colour coming from high temperature oxidation of iron in the rock, the path descended down a steep scree slope to the Emerald Lakes, which were a very bright bluey green colour. It was a very steep path going down with some incredibly loose terrain to reach the lakes at the bottom. There was even some pretty active geysers so the area smelt very eggy.
From the Emerald Lakes the track descended steeply into the Oturere Valley with views of the valley, the Kaimanawa Ranges and the Rangipo Desert. It was here I left the Tongariro Alpine Crossing and all the crowds behind which meant I could make some more significant progress. The path weaved through an endless variety of unusual jagged lava forms from early eruptions from Red Crater, which fill the Oturere Valley. It felt like a very alien place as it was just a barren landscape full of random rock formations. After reaching the Oturere Hut the track undulated over a number of stream valleys and open gravel fields. It was a very wild place. Eventually I descended into a valley and crossed the Waihohonu Stream, before going up and over this ridge to the Waihohonu Hut.
A short distance from the Waihohonu Hut I reached the historic Waihohonu Hut which is one of the oldest huts in New Zealand. It's just a museum now though but it was very interesting. The path then followed the Waihohonu stream and gradually climbed to the Tama Saddle. I had some great views of Ruapehu here, the biggest mountain in the North Island and one of the more active volcanoes in the country. There was even snow still on the slopes. Luckily it has been pretty calm just lately. When reaching the Tama Saddle I got great views of the Lower Tama Lake. I decided to set up camp here in the end as it was off the main track inside a crater so I could be discreet and get out of the wind, and it was a very pretty location nestled between the three volcanoes in what almost felt like a beach.
Come morning Ruapehu and Ngauruhoe weren't visible anymore as they were covered in cloud, but the cloudline wasn't low enough to affect me. I actually had a really good nights sleep despite being at 1258m according to my GPS, as I was out of the wind. From the Lower Tama Lake I headed to the Upper Tama Lake and the views were stunning from the top. It was just a shame the volcanoes were no longer visible. From here I continued towards Whakapapa through the open tussocks before reaching the Wairere Stream. This led to me to the rather impressive Taranaki Falls.
Eventually I made it to Whakapapa village which at 1150m is the highest settlement in New Zealand. I spent a couple of hours here relaxing, having a good look round the visitor centre which had lots of information abouts walks in the area as well as several stories, films, and information about previous eruptions. As the weather wasn't as bad as I anticipated I went for an additional walk from the village up to the Silica Rapids which were some rapids with a distinctive milky colour. Further downstream I reached the golden rapids which were basically enriched with high levels of iron creating a rustic golden colour to the water.
When returning to Whakapapa village I followed the Whakapaipito track towards Tawhai Falls. It started raining here however although it was only a shower which was lucky. Tawhai Falls is particularly famous for being the the filming location of the so called Gollums Pool in Lord of the Rings. It was a nice little waterfall. From the falls my next stop was a visit to the mounds, formed by historic quarrying in the area. After leaving the mounds I headed back towards National Park Village. I was tempted to stay there the night as the yha there had a climbing wall and mini golf course but I decided to continue onto the small town of Taumaranui so I could get some proper services. I spent the night camping by the Whanganui River.
Tuesday, 6 February 2018
Eastbourne Week 21
The weekend was Joss's weekend at home, so on Saturday morning we went to the market in Lower Hutt before going to a few shops in Petone. Eventually we got home where we had a pretty chilled out afternoon. The following day Joss went out his Dad and one of his friends to the lego wonders of the world exhibition at Te Papa. This gave me a few hours to relax although I did have to mow the lawn and walk the dog too before it got too hot. When Joss got home his friend stayed round to play so we ended up playing farmopoly with a break in the pool in the middle.
On Monday Joss's friend came round to see him again in the morning which was nice as that doesn't happen very often. We went in the pool again as well as playing a few games. After his friend went home, some people came to modify Joss's high chair as it needed fixing in a couple of places, as well as giving him a new sling for his hoist. They were there for quite a while, so after they went we went back in the pool, although it was really hot outside. Liza bought a load of new inflatables as loads of the others had been bitten by Joss which we tried out.
Tuesday was the last day of the holidays before Joss went back to school, so we went in the pool again in the morning and had a pretty chilled out day around that. In the afternoon Joss had conductive although he had this trial there to fit these new things he has to wear on his legs to help bend his knees. It took quite a while and he refused to walk in the walker with them on which made it hard work but if he cooperates in the future they will do him good. When we got back home we went back into the pool again, before having an early night with school the next day which Joss wasn't too impressed about.
The following day was school which was nice in terms of getting back into some kind of routine. This meant I could take Max out in the morning like I used to and meet all his friends down the beach. Joss was meant to have sailing although it was cancelled due to high winds which meant instead of doing that we took Max out to be washed which as always he disliked. It needed doing though as he was still malting like crazy and washing him helps stop that. Joss went round his Dad's after school which gave me the afternoon off so I just popped into Lower Hutt to pick up a couple of things from the shopping centre and have a read of a few travel books in the library.
I was hoping Thursday would be a relaxing day, although it turned into quite a busy one. With a reasonable kick off time in the Southampton game I listened to that in the morning. After the game we went into Lower Hutt to wash some duvets which was a nightmare as we had to wash them and dry them. To pass time we did the shopping in between, as well as looking round some of the other shops and eventually got back not long before Joss got home from school. The weather was horrendous though as we had the joys of Cyclone Fehi which brought some very strong winds and a lot of rain. One of the trees collapsed in the garden and the sea was in the road so it wasn't very fun.
Friday was my last day with Joss before moving on to new things. Despite this it was still a very busy day with it being housework day. Liza also wanted me to clean the grouting on the floor tiles so I had lots of cleaning to do. I think she was just trying to make the most of me before I left. It was Joss's weekend round his Dad's so he only came home for a couple of hours after school. It was emotional when saying goodbye to him though as he started crying and left in the car in tears. I'll definitely stay in contact though but I know he's going to miss me! His new au pair is apparently French, selected from over 30 people who applied so fingers crossed he will be good. I was apparently solely picked because I was English and I am still the only English person ever to apply!
With my flight out of New Zealand on March 4th, my plan from Eastbourne was to essentially spend the next 4 weeks or so exploring the North Island. My plans are pretty flexible with more potential things to do than I have time for but that gives me to flexibility to do things depending on weather, my luck with hitchhiking, and my fitness which isn't great at the moment as my legs are playing up with cramp. After saying goodbye to Liz I got a lift into Wellington with the next door neighbour Andrew by chance and had dinner and a few beers in town before heading north the following day.
On Monday Joss's friend came round to see him again in the morning which was nice as that doesn't happen very often. We went in the pool again as well as playing a few games. After his friend went home, some people came to modify Joss's high chair as it needed fixing in a couple of places, as well as giving him a new sling for his hoist. They were there for quite a while, so after they went we went back in the pool, although it was really hot outside. Liza bought a load of new inflatables as loads of the others had been bitten by Joss which we tried out.
Tuesday was the last day of the holidays before Joss went back to school, so we went in the pool again in the morning and had a pretty chilled out day around that. In the afternoon Joss had conductive although he had this trial there to fit these new things he has to wear on his legs to help bend his knees. It took quite a while and he refused to walk in the walker with them on which made it hard work but if he cooperates in the future they will do him good. When we got back home we went back into the pool again, before having an early night with school the next day which Joss wasn't too impressed about.
The following day was school which was nice in terms of getting back into some kind of routine. This meant I could take Max out in the morning like I used to and meet all his friends down the beach. Joss was meant to have sailing although it was cancelled due to high winds which meant instead of doing that we took Max out to be washed which as always he disliked. It needed doing though as he was still malting like crazy and washing him helps stop that. Joss went round his Dad's after school which gave me the afternoon off so I just popped into Lower Hutt to pick up a couple of things from the shopping centre and have a read of a few travel books in the library.
I was hoping Thursday would be a relaxing day, although it turned into quite a busy one. With a reasonable kick off time in the Southampton game I listened to that in the morning. After the game we went into Lower Hutt to wash some duvets which was a nightmare as we had to wash them and dry them. To pass time we did the shopping in between, as well as looking round some of the other shops and eventually got back not long before Joss got home from school. The weather was horrendous though as we had the joys of Cyclone Fehi which brought some very strong winds and a lot of rain. One of the trees collapsed in the garden and the sea was in the road so it wasn't very fun.
Friday was my last day with Joss before moving on to new things. Despite this it was still a very busy day with it being housework day. Liza also wanted me to clean the grouting on the floor tiles so I had lots of cleaning to do. I think she was just trying to make the most of me before I left. It was Joss's weekend round his Dad's so he only came home for a couple of hours after school. It was emotional when saying goodbye to him though as he started crying and left in the car in tears. I'll definitely stay in contact though but I know he's going to miss me! His new au pair is apparently French, selected from over 30 people who applied so fingers crossed he will be good. I was apparently solely picked because I was English and I am still the only English person ever to apply!
With my flight out of New Zealand on March 4th, my plan from Eastbourne was to essentially spend the next 4 weeks or so exploring the North Island. My plans are pretty flexible with more potential things to do than I have time for but that gives me to flexibility to do things depending on weather, my luck with hitchhiking, and my fitness which isn't great at the moment as my legs are playing up with cramp. After saying goodbye to Liz I got a lift into Wellington with the next door neighbour Andrew by chance and had dinner and a few beers in town before heading north the following day.
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