Coddiwomple Special No.2

-

I have finally done the Tongariro Alpine Crossing. It has taken three times staying at Snowy Water Lodge to finally make the crossing. We have been here since Sunday 21st working at the lodge. The first two days the crossing was closed due to bad weather and has been open since Tuesday. I was asked on Friday morning if I wanted to make the crossing on Saturday. There wasn’t going to be many guests that night and I wasn’t really required. Sharon was concerned she would not make the distance and declined to go. Steve the managers husband said he would go with me to do the crossing. At first, I thought he was just kidding around again but he was serious this time.

Saturday morning woke up to heavy fog and thunderstorms forecasted for the afternoon. The crossing was still going to be opened. Steve and I jumped on the shuttle bus at 6.50am. The bus picked up a lot more passengers on the way and finally started the crossing at 8.15am. To discourage people driving their cars to the start of the crossing they have put a 4-hour parking limit in place. You cannot do the crossing in this time and return to your car.  Hence why you must use a bus service.

Once off the bus there were 100’s of people milling around. Queuing up for the toilet or just waiting to start the track. On the way in we passed lots of other empty buses heading back out. We asked one of the staff of the track how his morning was going. He informed us there already was 1000 people in front of us and 1000’s more to follow. I think I have just discovered the No.1 tourist destination for the North Island. Steve and I didn’t hesitate we were on our way quickly passing all the slow walkers. I would probably be one of the slow walkers, but Steve is an ex All Blacks Rugby player and I had to prove myself against him.

Tongariro is an active volcanic area. It last erupted in 2012. The track is 19.4km long and rises at Red Crater to 1886m. The first section to Soda Springs is a gradual rise. After this section there is a sign warning you to be well prepared if you continue. If you are unfit, turn back now. There are regular rescues on this trail. There was 7 last month. The next section to South Crater is the steepest it gains 340m and you can see two previous lava flows. One from 1870 the other 1975. The next section is to Red Crater as you ascend you start smelling the sulphur. Red Crater is the active volcano. From this summit you get views overlooking the crater, Emerald Lake and Blue Lake. After the summit of Red Crater, you must descend a very well-worn unstable track. As I’m descending people around me are sliding and falling quite regularly with the occasional boulder rolling down the side of the crater. Thanks to my hiking poles I made it down safely. This is one section that needs to be investigated for safety if you are having a couple of thousand people a day tramping over this track.

After a 10min break at Emerald Lake which is just short of the half way mark we continued on our way to the finish.

3.5km from the end you get views over Lake Rotoaira where the Haka originated from then through some nice virgin forest before ending at the Ketetahi car park. It took Steve and I Five hours 45mins to complete. Our bus companies first pick up was at 3.00pm then 4.30pm. We had an hour wait. If you fail to get back at these times it is a $150 call out to get you back to your accommodation. All walkers’ names are recorded by the bus companies. If you fail to return a search and rescue party is sent out.

Our bus arrived at 2.50 we were on by three then the heaven’s opened up for a wet trip back. By the time we reached Snowy Waters Lodge for a beer and spa it was all clear skies again.








Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Coddiwomple Stardate 180922

-
Image
Our Uber driver dropped us near the Union Station and told us to head down a walkway which we did. After wandering around for 15mins I checked out our offline maps and realised he directed us in the opposite direction. Back on track we only had to wait 30mins before boarding. We are in economy which means 4 nights of sleeping in a seat. Amtrak seats were far more comfortable to sleep on. These trains are 60 year’s old. Amtrak were only 50. The train has two engines, 21 carriages and is 500m long. We have carried on two bags of food and planned on just buying our dinner. There is an observation deck which both of us has taken advantage of many times. They also put on entertainment by a duet. Our first stop we were able to get off for a stretch in a town called Hornepayne. Staff made the announcement we would be arriving in 10mins. The town has a population of 1000 and their train station is a two story brick building built in 1929. Something to check out. When we arrived the station w...
Read more

Coddiwomple Stardate 181203

-
Image
Our first day in London was cold and clear. I spent the morning plotting all the places to see on my offline maps for the next 8 days,  thanks to Jason's long list of things to see. Most of the places to visit don't open until 10.00am which gives us plenty of time just to lounge around in the warm hotel room. Before heading into a 2 degree morning. It is about a 10min walk to our closest tube station Kilburn on the Jubilee Line. You can use your credit card on the entrance gates to the trains so no travel card or tickets need to be purchased. We also could of payed with C/C on the buses in Thornhill, Scotland. I was thinking how far more technologically advanced the UK is compared to the US. You may have read from my previous blogs on how outdated payment options were in the US compared to other countries. I have also watched plenty of people paying for purchases and train fares on their phone by tapping. The US was fascinated when we showed them you can tap a card for purch...
Read more

Coddiwomple Stardate 180424

-
Image
After leaving New Zealand we were back in Australia for 3 weeks before heading on our 23-day voyage to Seattle. We spent 2 weeks in Melbourne catching up with family and friends before catching a train to Sydney. Then a week in Sydney once again catching up with more family and friends. We filled up our time well in Sydney by boarding several ferries that took us to Parramatta, Cockatoo Island, Manly and Toronga Zoo. Also caught a bus down to Coogee and walked back to Bondi. I had to try one of the many rock pools along the coast and chose a nice one recommended by Jade at Bronte Beach and it was a warm day for a refreshing swim. On the 22 nd April we boarded our cruise ship “Explorer of the Seas” It took us 1½ hours to get on the ship. I felt like cattle being herded to slaughter through multiple check ins and the border force. The ocean liner has 14 levels 4000 passengers and 1200 staff. This cruise ship holds 13 x the amount of people that are living on Stuart Island. The ne...
Read more