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TRAVEL BLOG ENTRY
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“all I was really aware of at the time was that I was WET!” |
I missed out doing the Tonagariro Crossing, 'the best one day hike in NZ', when I was in Taupo back in October because the weather was so bad. So, I figured now it was summer, and before I left the North Island for good, I should go back and do it...
Caught a bus up to Taupo and spent the night there before joining the Stray bus to the National Park in the morning. As we arrived at the park we could barely see the mountains for the cloud...did not bode well. A couple of german girls, Nellie and Carola, adopted me to walk with them, and off we set...
The first part was fine, cloudy but dry and a fairly easy, gentle uphill climb. Then we hit it...the 'Devil's staircase'...a very steep rocky hill that was absolute agony to climb! Had to take a break every couple of minutes. Finally we arrived at the top- now about 2 hours in to the walk. Relieved to have made it but it was starting to rain, and the wind was trying to blow us back down again. So on we pressed...I think we walked across some crater or something, it was big and flat, but all I was really aware of at the time was that I was WET! The water had already completely soaked through my shoes and trousers, and had to put my backpack under my rain coat to save my passport and camera etc from drowning.
Then there was another couple of hideous climbs up rain drenched sandy hills where the song "one step forwards and two steps back" would have made excellent background music. And then when you reached the top it was a case of quickly find a rock to hide behind to catch your breath before you get blown down again. Somewhere in the midst of this we could just about see the lakes as we half walked, half slid down a gravelly hill.
The trudge down from the mountains through forests would have been quite nice a relaxed had we not been squelching in our soaking shoes and in fear of catching hypothermia. When we arrived, in a pretty good time of 5 and a half hrs, we found some of the guys in the group had done the trek in a near record breaking 4 and a half hrs, and had been waiting for the bus to get them for an hour in soaking wet clothes. Gradually all the rest of the group returned...and still no bus! Turned out the driver, Rob had stopped to help someone who had broken down...needless to say when he finally arrived we were all slightly cold...
Thankfully our hostel for the night was a lovely place, with wood fires and wonderful hot showers...ahhh. All in all a bit of a wasted trip....still had terrible weather and couldn't see Mount Doom for the cloud. But at least I can say I did it!
previous travel blog entry
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