Country Info
- Wellington
- Capital
- New Zealand Dollar (NZD)
- Currency
- 3,864,129
- Population
- NZ
- Country Code
Turangi Slideshow
Turangi
Travel Blogs from Turangi, New Zealand
Waihohonu spring
... A really nice Dutch couple came in and we chatted for a while. Of course I told them I am learning Dutch and they taught me a new word: houdou which means “bye” in the area they’re from. They left me for the next hut though. ...
Tongariro Alpine Crossing
... . He’s a really interesting man, full of stories - he was once the head of mountaineering safety and wilderness first air for New Zealand, or something like that. He knows the park like the back of his hand and has even camped at the top of ...
Onwards
I had bacon for the first time since leaving England (I think) and hash browns, what a treat! After that, Matt took me on a tour of their dairy farm. It is absoultely huge, the views still do not cease to amaze me. I looked pretty ...
Stormy day
I slept really well in my loft (sounds so posh!). And it was warm. I think my first night at Oturere must have scarred me a little because for everything I do I factor in the warmth component. I just finished ...
Training Day 4
... protected species in Australia. Go figure. They are currently building a new hut for Waihohonu because the old one is no longer up to standards. This one will have enough floor space for ...
This place smells like SHI..........
We drove down to Roturura which is really smelly, I knew it would be but it gave me a headache most of the time. We went to see the geezer and to hells gate which has the sulphur and mud pools. It is a really strange place and you would not believe that ...
Last full day as a hut warden
Today is my last full day as a hut warden and I intend to make the best of it. It was great and my legs are nice and sore as a result. I met up with Cecile and Ada at Upper Tama Lakes for a mojitos. No joke. It’s too bad that ...
Mount Tongariro
The sun that was sent from Holland arrived here today. Yay! When I looked outside the window I could see the 3 peaks! I had no idea Ngauruhoe is so close: even during the training we couldn’t see it… Oh, by the way, Ruapehu ...
Training Day 5
... for at least an hour. By the time we got back to Turangi it was 11am - with the rest of the day to ourselves. First things first: phone call, shower, laundry, internet, grocery shopping. ...
Training Day 3
Jimmy picked us up at 9am and we drove down to the Ketatahi access road. From there we climbed onwards and upwards up many many sets of stairs. This is basically the end of the Tongariro ...
Tongariro Crossing
Early for breakfast, late for bus due to the incredibly slow toaster! Only another 3 people going anyway. Fi got walking poles before the bus raced away! Bus dropped us off at the start with the instruction "just head for that saddle", miles ...
Pancake party
I am breaking all rules of human decency right now. Yes, I’ve committed the crime beyond all crime, the sin of all sins. I’m wearing shorts over my long-johns. Before condemning me however, allow me to state my case before ...
Life on Puataata Street
Yesterday would be hard to beat as far awesome chillaxing days go, but today certainly was a satisfactory runner-up. I did some reading, and some shelling, and some studying and some gardening, ...
Dinning out and movies
... ; My next stop was the Visitor Center. We had come here with Jimmy during training week, but the two short videos they usually show the new staff as an intro to the park was not working. The newbies had seen them a few days ago and said they were good so ...
Dinner for 6
... other grocery store in town (the lady at the cash laughed at me and my meager purchase). Do not despair, most grocery stores in New Zealand do in fact sell zucchini/courgette, as do most New World‘s around the country; this is but one of the (many) ...
Waihohonu Hut
... on the outskirts of a wood in a mostly desert environment. Built in 1904, this hut is the oldest still-standing recreational hut in New Zealand. Back in the day, more people visited the area in Winter than in Summer, drawn to the slopes. This little place ...
One month til I'm home...
Today is April 1st and in exactly one month I go home! I am sitting here in the sun on my own private beach, just as Ada said it would be. As least until those people decide to come down the hill… I just went for a swim in Upper ...
Donuts
2:45pm. Ada just left. She came here around lunchtime and we’ve just spent the last few hours together. We had a good time, she’s always interesting and fun to talk with. And I’m not just saying that because she makes ...
National Park Village
Up early for last minute repacking and breakfast. Check out of the Ibis; a courtesy bus from our car rental company picks us up at 9am. Nice. Get our car a little before 10am. An automatic. We head North out of Wellington trying not to use the footbrake ...
Chocolate and knitting
I have just finished reading “Chocolat”. I have been immersed in the world since I started reading it two days ago. Last night my dreams circled around Vianne, Lansquenet-sous-Tannes and all the characters in that village. ...
Key exchange
I woke up with a song in my head. It is now late afternoon and there is no getting rid of it. Darn catchy songs! “I wanna be your guitar, so would know exactly how to tune me…” and the line that just keeps coming ...
Bored of the Rings?
Jan 3rd - Thursday Awoke early for our 'Magical walk in the hills' at about 06:30. Morning ablutions carried out, we threw together some supplies for the alpine trek into Lord of the Rings country along the Tongariro Crossing. update.... really ...
Happy Birthday Daddy
Happy Birthday Daddy! I hope you made it back home for your birthday… I hear planes are not flying out of Europe at the moment. Gorgeous day here today: hardly a cloud in the sky and it is rather warm! After ...
Good Friday
Well, they warned us Easter Weekend would be busy… Whoever has the busiest hut over the course of the weekend winds a prize: a great big Easter Egg. I’m well positioned to get it, as Waihohonu is notoriously one of the ...
Rotopaunga and beyond
Another great day. I only left here at about 11, waiting for people to get out so I could give the place a good scrub. I had a little bit of couscous left so I made some: 90% veggies and 10% couscous. But it was still good, especially ...
Weekend
On my days off, I did all the stuff you can expect: shower, laundry, shopping, etc. But one of the highlights was sitting down with the house to myself with steak and a beer to the movie I rented from the library. Drum roll ...
Mangatepopo Hut
I sure am glad to be in these warm quarters here at Mangatepopo Hut at the moment: the rain is coming down in sheets, the wind is shaking the entire hut and especially rattling the gutter, there is limited visibility due to all the fog ...
Rotopaunga
Ah, slept so well! So toasty under all those blankets! And it isn’t too cold in here. Must be because the hut faces North and we get sun all day. The afternoon sun through my windows is especially nice. The wind is still howling ...
Long weekend
... and helped DOC pay for a new house. Crazy. But people in Turangi are quite nice: some lady stopped and asked Ada if she wanted a ride because she was carrying two bags of groceries down ...
Ketetahi Hut
It’s quite a hike up to Ketetahi Hut. It was rather gruelling at times because of the weight of my pack. I knew it would be hard work getting up here, having hiked that section of trail once before, but I still did not try all ...