I recently had a
4-day weekend, thanks to Waitangi Day (NZ’s closest thing to Independence Day—I
wrote about it here when I visited the Waitangi Treaty Grounds in December), so
I decided to face the Tongariro Alpine Crossing. This 19.4km (12mi) hike snakes
through Tongariro National Park, which features three volcanoes (two of which
are still active) and ascends from 1100m to 1900m before descending down to
750m. The Crossing holds high rankings on top hiking lists within NZ and
internationally, so when I found a coupon for accommodation, meals, and
transport for the trip, I jumped at the chance.
The park is in the
middle of nowhere, so stayed in a nearby town called Owhango, which I reached
after spending half a day riding a bus south from Auckland. When I first
arrived in mid-afternoon at the B&B where I had accommodation, no one but
the owner was around, so when I heard that she owned the blueberry orchard
across the street, I volunteered to help and spent a couple hours picking
delicious berries (which I later sampled in baked goods). The bed and breakfast
where I stayed was quite comfortable, and only a few people were around, so I really
enjoyed spending time with the handful of workers and the two guests besides me
who were there at the time.
Not surprisingly, the
most noteworthy part of the trip was the crossing itself (photos). We embarked early in
the morning, and as our rickety bus bounced along the route to the trail, I watched
the sun rise behind the mountains. That stunning sight really made me excited
to begin my journey, which I began bright-eyed and bushy-tailed at 7:23am and completed
blistered and aching at 3:00pm. In between that I climbed up and down hundreds
of stairs, I scrambled up rocks and slid down slopes, and I saw for miles when
it was clear and saw only a few meters around me when it was misty. At times
the wind whipped around and blew dust into my eyes, making me shiver and squeeze
my eyes shut and wish I’d never left Auckland, and for much of the latter half
of the trek my feet and knees protested over my decision to attempt twelve
miles in one go, not to mention that I chose to do that distance over a
mountain. However, I must say that no matter how much I may gripe at the
physical discomfort of my journey, I’m incredibly proud of myself for even
entertaining the idea of attempting such a feat, much less completing it. Needless
to say I slept well that night.
The following day I spent
the morning with the couple who were staying at the B&B with me: we drove
down the road to see the Whakapapa River (which was lovely and noisy) and then
lunched at what I assume is the only café in the bustling metropolis of
Owhango. They then, most generously, made sure I was set for my bus to pick me
up for my return to Auckland, and they even drove me to the bus stop twenty
minutes down the road. Meeting folks like them—who go well out of their way to
ensure that a stranger can find her way home—certainly restores my faith in
humanity. Thanks to them I had plenty of time before my bus arrived, and I
spent the entire evening bouncing along the winding highway back to Auckland.
The trip really
pushed me physically, and certainly held its own challenges as I was traveling
on my own once more, but because of that it’s one trip I think I’ll never
forget.
