Setting out for Tongariro National Park, we stopped by the Huka Falls, a small detour. The Huka Falls, where the New Zealand’s largest lake drains into its largest river, the Waikato.
Tongariro National Park. Driving past Lake Taupo and a couple of other small towns, 2 hours later, we parked at the Whakapapa Village that is mainly used for ski chateaus and lodges and a base for hikers and maps. Several of the trails start from this area. Tongariro National Park was the first park to be both a cultural and historical world heritage status.
The employee at the visitor’s centre told us to do a short hike to the Taranaki falls, which ended up to be about 2 hours long. It did lead us through bush, forest, and a nice waterfall though!
Afterwards we drove out to fill our gas tank, down to 5 litres and still had 2 hours of driving ahead of us… But our real destination, along Mangatepopo Road, the Tongariro Alpine Trail. By this time it was about 2pm and there was much land to cover. Our original goal was to hike to the Emerald Lakes at the Red Crater between Mt Tongariro and Mt Ngauruhoe but that would add another 4 hours to get there and back… So we set out anyways to get to the Soda Springs hiking up Mt Tongariro. Which would be about 2 hours one way.
As we went along the path was very rocky and just got worse. The ‘trail’ became cliffs sides and rocks that looked like steps but many were high steps, unstable setting, and some slippery as well. It didn’t look to bad in the light but imagine in the dark… Haha… As we continued to Soda Springs, the sun was setting behind us lighting up the sky in blues yellows oranges pinks reds then purples, until it was black. The mountain in the distance made it look beautiful but also warned us that we would soon not be able to see. The actual soda springs weren’t….. Much. Its too bad we couldn’t make it to the Emerald Lake but no regrets! Walking back in the dark, the sun had completely set around 6ish and we still had some ways to go. Soon after the sky was lit up with stars, we could see the milky way so clearly. Beautiful. But looking down on the trail, only shadows would be racing by, could barely make out the trail we were to follow. Distinguished only by faint colour of the bush and rocks on the ground. A nice 8km hike.
And now 2 hours back to Rotorua for dinner. Whee. Driving at night was pretty intense. Most of the time we had our highbeams on and only switched between when passing cars on the approaching side. Otherwise we could barely make out 100m ahead of us. It only got worse as the thermal steam fogged up the road with light bouncing everywhere.
Tomorrow is…. Hmm.
View of one of the Mt while driving
Sunsetting from Soda Springs
Sunsetting from Mt Tongariro
Stars from Lake Taupo
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