February 9, 2014 Tongariro Crossing

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.